HENRY    MARTYN 


I 


f'^^y's'-^'- 


HENRY    MARTYN 


SAINT    AND    SCHOLAR 


FIRST   MODERN    MISSIONARY   TO    THE    MOHAMMEDANS 
1781-1812 


BY 

GEORGE    SMITH,  CLE,  LL.D. 

AUTHOR   OF    'life   OF   WILLIAM    CAKEV  '     'LIFE  OF   ALEXANDER    DUFF      ETC. 


mow  let  me  burn  out  for  (Bo^ ' 


\i^lTH    PORTRAIT    AND    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY. 

NEW  YORK:  I  CHICAGO: 

30  Union  Square,  East.        |      148-150  Madison  Street, 

Publishers  0/  Evangelical  Literature, 


171,  173  Macdougal  Street,  New  York 


PREFACE 


In  the  year  1819,  John  Sargent,  Rector  of  Lavington, 
published  A  Memoir  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn.  The 
book  at  once  became  a  spiritual  classic.  The  saint,  the 
scholar,  and  the  missionary,  alike  found  in  it  a  new 
inspiration.  It  ran  through  ten  editions  during  the  writer's 
life,  and  he  died  when  projecting  an  additional  volume  of 
the  Journals  and  Letters.  His  son-in-law,  S.  Wilberforce, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Oxford  and  of  Winchester,  accordingly, 
in  1837  published,  in  two  volumes.  Journals  and  Letters 
of  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  B.D.,  with  an  introduction 
on  Sargent's  life.  Sargent  had  suppressed  what  Bishop 
Wilberforce  describes  as  *a  great  variety  of  interesting 
'  materials.'  Especially  in  the  lifetime  of  Lydia  Grenfell 
it  was  thought  necessary  to  omit  the  facts  which  give  to 
Henry  Martyn's  personality  its  human  interest  and  in- 
tensify our  appreciation  of  his  heroism.  On  the  lady's 
death,  in  1829,  Martyn's  letters  to  her  became  available, 
and  Bishop  Wilberforce  incorporated  these  in  what  he  de- 
scribed as '  further  and  often  more  continuous  selections  from 
the  journals  and  letters  of  Mr.  Martyn.'  But,  unhappily, 
his  work  does  not  fully  supplement  that  of  Sargent.  The 
Journal  is  still  mutilated  ;  the  Letters  are  still  imperfect. 

Some  years  ago,  on  completing  the  Life  of  William 
Carey,  who  had  written  that  wherever  his  friend  Henry 
Martyn  might  go  as  chaplain  the  Church  need  not  send  a 


vi  HENRY  MARTYN 

missionary,  I  began  to  prepare  a  new  work  on  the  first 
modern  apostle  to  the  Mohammedans.  I  was  encouraged 
by  his  grand-nephew,  a  distinguished  mathematician,  the 
late  Henry  Martyn  Jeffery,  F.R.S.,  whohad  in  1883  printed 
Two  Sets  of  Unpublished  Letters  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn, 
B.D.,  of  Truro.  For  a  time  I  stopped  the  work  on  learning 
that  he  had  come  into  possession  of  Lydia  Grenfell's  papers, 
and  was  preparing  the  book  which  appeared  in  1890, 
Extracts  from  the  Religious  Diary  of  Miss  L.  Grenfell,  of 
Marazion^  Cornwall.  Except  her  letters  to  Henry  Martyn, 
which  are  not  in  existence  now,  all  the  desirable  materials 
seemed  to  be  ready.  Meanwhile,  the  missionary  bishop 
who  most  resembled  Martyn  in  character  and  service, 
Thomas  Valpy  French,  of  Lahore  and  Muscat,  had  written 
to  Canon  Edmonds  of  S.  Wilberforce's  book  as  '  a  work  for 
whose  reprint  I  have  often  pleaded  in  vain,  and  for  which 
all  that  there  is  of  mission  life  in  our  Church  would  plead, 
had  it  not  been  so  long  out  of  print  and  out  of  sight' 

My  aim  is  to  set  the  two  autobiographies,  unconsciously 
written  in  the  Journals  and  Letters  of  Henry  Martyn  and  in 
the  Diary  of  Lydia  Grenfell,  in  the  light  of  recent  know- 
ledge of  South  Africa  and  India,  Persia  and  Turkey,  and 
of  Bible  work  and  missionary  history  in  the  lands  of 
which,  by  his  life  and  by  his  death,  Henry  Martyn  took 
possession  for  the  Master.  Bengal  chaplain  of  the  East 
India  Company,  he  was,  above  all,  a  missionary  to  the 
two  divisions  of  Islam,  in  India  and  Persia,  and  in  Arabia 
and  Turkey.  May  this  book,  written  after  years  of  ex- 
perience in  Bengal,  lead  many  to  enter  on  the  inheritance 
he  has  left  to  the  Catholic  Church  1 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Cornwall  and  Cambridge,  1781-1803 i 

II.     Lydia  Grenfell 43 

III.  The    Nine    Months'    Voyage — South   America -South 

Africa,   1805-1806        loi 

IV.  India  and  the  East  in  the  Year  1806  ....  132 
V.     Calcutta  and  Serampore,   1S06 150 

VI.     DiNAPORE  and  Patna,   i8o7-i5:'o9 199 

VII.     Cawnpore,  1809-1810 257 

VIII.     From  Calcutta  to  Ceylon,  Bombay,  and  Araiua  .        .  315 

IX.     In  Persia- Bushire  and  Shiraz,   181  i          .         .         .     .  340 

X.     In  Persia — Controversies  with  Mohammedans,  Soofis, 

AND  Jews 370 

XL     In  Persia — Translating  the  Scriptures    .        .        .     .  417 

XII.     Shiraz  to  Tabreez — The  Persian  New  Testament        .  461 

XIII.  In    Persia   and  Turkey — Tabreez  to   Tokat  and  the 

Tomb 492 

XIV.  The  Two  Resting-Places— Tokat  and  Breage       .        .  515 
XV.     Baptized  for  the  Dead 552 

Index            573 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGB 

Portrait — Henry  Martyn Frotitispiece 

St.  John's  College,  Cambridge,  in  1797 13 

Second  Court,  St.  John's  College,  in  1S03 32 

Trinity  Church,  Cambridge,  in  1S03 37 

St.  Michael's  Mount,  at  Full  Tide 45 

Pagoda,  Aldeen  House 159 

A  Brick  from  Henry  Martyn's  Pagoda 161 

Shiraz      .        .        ,        , 357 

ToKAT  IN  1812             , 518 

Tomb  of  Henry  Martyn       .-...,..  531 


Then  came  another  of  priestly  garb  and  mien, 
A  young  man  still  wanting  the  years  of  Christ, 
But  long  since  with  the  saints.  .  .  . 
A  poet  with  the  contemplative  gaze 
And  listening  ear,  but  quick  of  force  and  eye, 
Who  fought  the  wrong  without,  the  wrong  within, 
And,  being  a  pure  saint,  like  those  of  old, 
Abased  himself  and  all  the  precious  gifts 
God  gave  him,  flinging  all  before  the  feet 
Of  Him  whose  name  he  bore — a  fragile  form 
Upon  whose  hectic  cheek  there  burned  a  flush 
That  was  not  health  ;  who  lived  as  Xavier  lived, 
And  died  like  him  upon  the  burning  sands, 
Untended,  yet  whose  creed  was  far  from  his 
As  pole  from  pole  ;  whom  grateful  England  still 
Loves. 

The  awakened  gaze 
Turned  wholly  from  the  earth,  on  things  of  hea/en 
He  dwelt  both  day  and  night.     The  thought  of  God 
Filled  him  with  infinite  joy  ;  his  craving  soul 
Dwelt  on  Him  as  a  feast  ;  as  did  the  soul 
Of  rapt  Francesco  in  his  holy  cell 
In  blest  Assisi  ;  and  he  knew  the  pain, 
The  deep  despondence  of  the  saint,  the  doubt, 
The  consciousness  of  dark  offence,  the  joy 
Of  full  assurance  last,  when  heaven  itself 
Stands  open  to  the  ecstasy  of  faith. 

The  relentless  lie     , 
Of  Islam  ...  he  chose  to  bear,  who  knew 
How  swift  the  night  should  fall  on  him,  and  burned 
To  save  one  soul  alive  while  yet  'twas  day. 


HENRY  MARTYN 

This  filled  his  thoughts,  this  only,  and  for  this 

On  the  pure  altar  of  his  soul  he  heaped 

A  costlier  sacrifice,  this  youth  in  years, 

For  whom  Love  called,  and  loving  hands,  and  hope 

Of  childish  lives  around  him,  offering  these, 

Like  all  the  rest,  to  God. 

Yet  when  his  hour 
Was  come  to  leave  his  England,  was  it  strange 
His  weakling  life  pined  for  the  parting  kiss 
Of  love  and  kindred,  whom  his  prescient  soul 
Knew  he  should  see  no  more  ? 

The  woman  of  his  love 
Feared  to  leave  all  and  give  her  life  to  his, 
And  both  to  God  ;  his  sisters  passed  away 
To  heaven,  nor  saw  him  more.     There  seemed  on  earth 
Nothing  for  which  to  live,  except  the  Faith, 
Only  the  Faith,  the  Faith  !  until  his  soul 
Wore  thin  her  prison  bars,  and  he  was  fain 
To  rest  awhile,  or  work  no  more  the  work 
For  which  alone  he  lived. 

A  Vision  of  Saints.     By  Lewis  MorriS. 


HENRY    MARTYN 


CHAPTER   I 

CORNWALL   AND   CAMBRIDGE,  1781-1803 

Writing  half  a  century  ago,  as  one  who  gratefully 
accepted  the  guidance  of  the  Church  of  England,  from 
the  evangelical  and  philanthropic  side  of  which  he  sprang. 
Sir  James  Stephen  declared  the  name  of  Henry  Martyn 
to  be  '  in  fact  the  one  heroic  name  which  adorns  her 
annals  from  the  days  of  Elizabeth  to  our  own,'  The 
past  fifty  years  have  seen  her  annals,  in  common  with  those 
of  other  Churches,  adorned  by  many  heroic  names.  These 
are  as  many  and  as  illustrious  on  the  side  which  has 
enshrined  Henry  Martyn  in  the  new  Cathedral  of  Truro, 
as  amongst  the  Evangelicals,  to  whom  in  life  he  belonged. 
But  tha  influence  which  streams  forth  from  his  short  life 
and  his  obscure  death  is  the  perpetual  heritage  of  all  English- 
speaking  Christendom,  and  of  the  native  churches  of  India, 
Arabia,  Persia,  and  Anatolia  in  all  time  to  come.  His 
Journal,  even  in  the  mutilated  form  published  first  by  his 
friend  Sargent,  is  one  of  the  great  spiritual  autobiographies 
of  Catholic  literature.     It  is  placed  beside  the  Confessions 

6 


2  ,  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  Augustine  and  the  Grace  Abounding  of  Bunyan.  The 
Letters  are  read  along  with  those  of  Samuel  Rutherford  and 
William  Cowper  by  the  most  saintly  workers,  persuasive 
preachers,  and  learned  scholars,  who,  even  in  these  days 
of  searching  criticism,  attribute  to  the  young  chaplain- 
missionary  their  early  inspiration  and  renewed  consecration, 
even  as  he  traced  his  to  Brainerd,  Carey,  and  Charles  Simeon. 

Born  in  Truro  on  February  i8,  178 1,  Henry  Martyn 
came  from  a  land  the  oldest  and  most  isolated  in  Great 
Britain  ;  a  Celtic  people  but  recently  transformed  from  the 
rudest  to  the  most  courteous  and  upright ;  a  family  created 
and  partly  enriched  by  the  great  mining  industry  ;  and 
a  church  which  had  been  the  first,  in  these  far-western 
islands,  to  receive  the  teaching  of  the  Apostles  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  tin  found  in  the  lodes  and  streams  of  the 
Devonian  Slates  of  West  Cornwall  was  the  only  large 
source  of  supply  to  the  world  down  to  Henry  Martyn's 
time.  The  granite  porphyries  which  form  the  Land's  End 
had  come  to  be  worked  only  a  century  before  that  for  the 
'  bunches '  of  copper  which  fill  the  lines  of  fault  and  fissure. 
It  was  chiefly  from  the  deeper  lodes  of  Gwennap,  near 
Truro,  that  his  family  had  drawn  a  competence.  The 
statement  of  Richard  Carew,  in  his  Survey  of  Cormvall^ 
was  true  of  the  dim  centuries  before  Herodotus  wrote,  that 
the  'tynne  of  the  little  angle  (Cornwall)  overfloweth 
England,  watereth  Christendom,  and  is  derived  to  a  great 
part  of  the  world  besides.' '  Tyrian  and  Jew,  Greek  and 
Roman,  as  navigators,  travellers,  and  capitalists,  had  in  the 

'  See  the  Statistical  Society's  Journal,  September,  1888,  for  invaluable 
notes  on  the  '  System  of  Work  and  Wages  in  the  Cornish  Mines,'  by  L.  Lt 
Price,  M.A.,  of  Oriel  College,  Oxford. 


CORN IV ALL  AND  CAMBRIDGE,    1 781-1803  3 

darkness  of  prehistoric  days  dealings  with  the  land  de- 
scribed in  an  Elizabethan  treatise  on  Geography  as  a  foreign 
country  on  that  side  of  England  next  to  Spain.  London 
itself  is  modern  compared  with  the  Cornish  trade,  which  in 
its  latest  stage  assumed  the  Latin  name  Siannum,  and  the 
almost  perfect  economic  laws  administered  by  the  Lord 
Warden  of  the  Stannaries  since  King  John  leased  the  mines 
to  the  Jews,  and  Edward  I.,  as  Earl  of  Cornwall,  established 
the  now  vexed  '  royalties '  by  charter.  Even  in  the  century 
since  Henry  Martyn's  early  days  fourteen  of  the  Cornish 
mines  have  yielded  a  gross  return  of  more  than  thirteen 
millions  sterling,  of  which  above  one-fifth  was  clear  profit. 

Whether  the  Romans  used  the  Britons  in  the  mines  as 
slaves  or  not,  the  just  and  democratic  system  of  working 
them — which  was  probably  due  to  the  Norman  kings,  and 
extorted  the  admiration  of  M.  Jars,  a  French  traveller  of 
the  generation  to  which  Henry  Martyn's  father  belonged — 
did  not  humanise  the  population.  So  rude  were  their  manners 
that  their  heath-covered  rocks  bore  the  name  of  '  West 
Barbary.'  Writing  two  centuries  before  Martyn,  Norden 
described  the  city  of  his  birth  as  remarkable  for  its  neatness, 
which  it  still  is,  but  he  added,  there  is  not  a  town  '  more 
discommendable  for  the  pride  of  the  people.'  The  Cornish 
miner's  life  is  still  as  short  as  it  is  hard  and  daring,  in  spite 
of  his  splendid  physique  and  the  remarkable  health  of  the 
women  and  children.  But  the  perils  of  a  rock-bound 
coast,  the  pursuits  of  wrecking  and  smuggling,  added  to 
the  dangers  of  the  mines,  and  all  isolated  from  the  growing 
civilisation  of  England,  had  combined,  century  after  century, 
to  make  Cornwall  a  byword  till  John  Wesley  and  George 
Whitfield  visited  it.  Then  the  miner  became  so  changed, 
not    less   really  because  rapidly,  that  the  feature  of  the 

B2 


4  HENRY  MARTYN 

whole  people  which  first  and  most  continuously  strikes  a 
stranger  is  their  grave  and  yet  hearty  politeness.  Thomas 
Carlyle  has,  in  his  Life  of  Sterling,  pictured  the  moral 
heroism  which  Methodism,  with  its  'faith  of  assurance,' 
developes  in  the  jgnorant  Cornish  miner,  a  faith  which, 
as  illustrated  by  William  Carey  and  taught  by  the  Church 
of  England,  did  much  to  make  Henry  Martyn  what  he 
became.  John  Wesley's  own  description  in  the  year  oi 
Henry  Martyn's  birth  is  this :  *  It  pleased  God  the  seed 
there  sown  has  produced  an  abundant  harvest.  Indeed,  I 
hardly  know  any  part  of  the  three  kingdoms  where  there 
has  been  a  more  general  change.'  The  Cornishman  still 
beguiles  the  weary  hours  of  his  descent  of  the  ladder  to 
his  toil  by  crooning  the  hymns  of  Charles  Wesley. 
The  local  preacher  whose  eloquent  earnestness  and 
knowledge  of  his  Bible  have  delighted  the  stranger  on 
Sunday,  is  found  next  day  two  hundred  fathoms  below 
the  sea,  doing  his  eight  hours'  work  all  wet  and  grimy  and 
red  from  the  iron-sand,  picking  out  the  tin  of  Bottallack  or 
the  copper  of  Gwennap.  Long  before  Henry  Martyn  knew 
Simeon  he  had  become  unconsciously  in  some  sense  the 
fruit  of  the  teaching  of  the  Wesleys. 

During  fifty-five  years  again  and  again  John  Wesley 
visited  Cornwall,  preaching  in  the  open  air  all  over  the 
mining  county  and  in  the  fishing  hamlets,  till  two  genera- 
tions were  permanently  changed.  His  favourite  centre 
was  Gwennap,  which  had  long  been  the  home  of  the 
Martyn  family,  a  few  miles  from  Truro.  There  he  found 
his  open-air  pulpit  and  church  in  the  great  hollow,  ever 
since  known  as  *  Wesley's  Pit,'  where,  to  this  day,  thousands 
crowd  every  Whit-Monday  to  commemorative  services. 
Wesley's  published  journal,  which  closes  with  October  1790, 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1S03  5 

U'heii  Henry  Martyn  was  nearly  ten  )-ears  of  age,  has 
more  frequent  and  always  more  appreciative  references  to 
Gwennap  than  to  any  other  town.  On  July  6,  1745,  we 
find  him  writing  : 

At  Gwennap  also  we  found  the  people  in  the  utmost 
consternation.  Word  was  brought  that  a  great  company 
of  tinners,  made  drunk  on  purpose,  were  coming  to  do 
terrible  things — so  that  abundance  of  people  went  away. 
I  preached  to  the  rest  on  '  Love  your  enemies.' 

By  1774  we  read  'the  glorious  congregation  was 
assembled  at  five  in  the  amphitheatre  at  Gwennap.'  Next 
year  we  find  this  : 

'  At  five  in  the  evening  in  the  amphitheatre  at  Gwennap. 
I  think  this  is  the  most  magnificent  spectacle  which  is  to 
be  seen  on  this  side  heaven.  And  no  music  is  to  be 
heard  upon  earth  comparable  to  the  sound  of  many  thou- 
sand voices  when  they  are  all  harmoniously  joined  together 
singing  "  praises  to  God  and  the  Lamb."  Four-and-twenty 
thousand  were  present,  frequently,  at  that  spot.  And 
yet  all,  I  was  informed,  could  hear  distinctly  in  the  fair, 
calm  evening.'  Again  :  '  I  think  this  is  my  ne  plus  ultra. 
I  shall  scarce  see  a  larger  congregation  till  we  meet  in  the 
air.' 

We  are  thus  introduced  to  the  very  spot  where  Henry 
Martyn  was  born  :  '  About  noon  I  preached  in  the  piazza 
adjoining  to  the  Coinage  Hall  in  Truro.  I  was  enabled  to 
speak  exceeding  plain  on  "  Ye  are  saved  through  faith." ', 
In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  Wesley  preached  in  the 
fishing  village  of  Megavissey,  '  where  I  saw  a  very  rare 
thing — men  swiftly  increasing  in  substance,  and  yet  not 
decreasing  in  holiness.' 

From  such  a  land  and  such  influences  sprang  the  first 
missionary  hero  of  the    Church  of  England    in    modern 


6  HENRY  MARTYN 

■-» 

limes.  The  Martyn  family  had  for  more  than  a  century 
been  known  locally  as  one  of  skilled  miners,  described  by 
their  ablest  representative  in  recent  times  '  as  '  mine  agents 
or  mine  captains  who  filled  positions  of  trust'  Martin 
Luther  had  a  similar  origin.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
any  of  them  went  underground,  although  that,  if  true, 
would  justify  the  romance  for  which  Martyn's  first  bio- 
grapher is  responsible.  His  great-grandfather  was  Thomas 
Martyn,  his  grandfather  was  John  Martyn  of  Gwennap 
Churchtown,  and  his  grand-uncle  was  the  surveyor,  Thomas 
Martyn  (1695-175 1),  who  published  the  map  of  Cornwall 
described  as  a  marvel  of  minute  and  accurate  topography, 
due  to  a  survey  on  foot  for  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Jeffery 
quotes  from  some  manuscript  notes  written  by  his  father : 

John,  an  elder  brother  of  Thomas  Martyn,  was  the 
father  of  John  Martyn,  who  was  born  at  Gwennap  Church- 
town,  and,  when  young,  was  put  as  an  accountant  at  Wheal 
Virgin  Mine.  He  was  soon  made  cashier  to  Ralph  Allen 
Daniell,  Esq.,  of  Trelissick.  Mr.  Martyn  held  one-twenty- 
fourth  of  Wheal  Unity  Mine,  where  upwards  of  300,000/. 
was  divided.  He  then  resided  in  a  house  opposite  the 
Coinage  Hall  (now  the  Cornish  Bank),  Truro,  a  little  below 
the  present  Market  House.  Here  Henry  Martyn  was  born 
February  18,  1781,  and  was  sent  thence  to  Dr.  Cardew's 
School  in  1788. 

The  new  Town  Hall  stands  on  the  site  of  the  house. 

The  boy  bore  a  family  name  which  is  common  in  South- 
west England,  and  which  was  doubtless  derived,  in  the  first 
instance,  from  the  great  missionary  monk  of  Celtic  France, 
the  founder  of  the  Gallic  Church,  St.  Martin,  Bishop  of 
Tours.     Born  in  what  is  now  Lower  Hungary,  the  son  of 

'  The  late  Ileniy  Martyn  Jeffery,  M.A.,  F.R.S.,  in  1883. 


CORNWALL   AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  7 

a  pagan  soldier  of  Rome,  St.  Martin,  during  his  long  life 
which  nearly  covered  the  fourth  century,  made  an  im- 
pression, especially  on  Western  or  Celtic  Christendom,  even 
greater  than  that  of  the  Devonshire  Winfrith  or  Boniface 
on  Germany  long  after  him.  It  was  in  the  generation 
after  his  death,  when  St.  Martin's  glory  was  at  its  height, 
that  the  Saxon  invasion  of  Britain  led  to  the  migration  of 
British  Christians  from  West  and  South  England  to 
Armorica,  which  was  thence  called  Brittany.  The  inter- 
course between  Cornwall  and  Britannia  Minor  became  as 
close  as  is  now  the  case  between  the  Celtic  districts  of  the 
United  Kingdom  and  North  America.  Missionaries  con- 
tinually passed  and  repassed  between  them.  St.  Corentin, 
consecrated  Bishop  of  Quimper  in  Brittany  or  French 
Cornwall,  by  the  hands  of  St.  Martin  himself,  was  sent  to 
Cornwall  long  before  Pope  Gregory  despatched  St.  Augustin 
to  Canterbury,  and  became  a  popular  Cornish  saint  after 
whom  St.  Cury's  parish  is  still  named.  On  the  other  side, 
the  Early  British  Church  of  Cornwall,  where  we  still  find 
Roman  Christian  inscriptions,  kept  up  a  close  fellowship 
with  the  Church  in  Ireland.  The  earliest  martyrs  and 
hermits  of  the  Church  of  Cornu-Gallia  were  companions  of 
St.  Patrick. 

Certainly  there  is  no  missionary  saint  in  all  the  history 
of  the  Church  of  Christ  whom,  in  his  character,  Henry 
Martyn  so  closely  resembled  as  his  namesake,  the  apostle 
of  the  Gallic  peoples.  In  the  pages  of  the  bishop's  bio- 
grapher, Sulpicius  Severus,  we  see  the  same  self-consecra- 
tion which  has  made  the  Journal  of  Henry  Martyn  a 
stimulus  to  the  noblest  spirits  of  modern  Christendom  ; 
the  same  fiery  zeal,  often  so  excessive  as  to  defeat  the 
Divine    mission ;    the    same    soldier-like   obedience    and 


8  HENRY  MARTYN 

humility ;  the  same  prayerfulness  without  ceasing,  and 
faith  in  the  power  of  prayer  ;  the  same  fearlessness  in 
preaching  truth  however  disagreeable  to  the  luxurious  and 
vicious  of  the  time ;  and,  above  all  on  the  practical  side, 
the  same  winning  loveableness  and  self-sacrifice  for  others 
which  have  made  the  story  of  St.  Martin  dividing  his  cloak 
with  the  beggar  second  only,  in  Mediaeval  art,  to  the  Gospel 
records  of  the  Lord's  own  acts  of  tender  grace  and  Divine 
self-emptying.  As  we  trace,  step  by  step,  the  unceasing 
service  of  Henry  Marty n  to  men  for  love  of  his  Master, 
we  shall  find  a  succession  of  modern  parallels  to  the  act  of 
St.  Martin,  who,  when  a  lad  of  eighteen  with  his  regiment 
at  Amiens,  himself  moneyless,  answered  the  appeal  of  a 
beggar,  shivering  at  the  city  gates  in  a  cruel  winter,  by 
drawing  his  dagger,  dividing  his  military  cloak,  and  giving 
half  of  it  to  the  naked  man.  If  the  legend  continues  to 
run,  that  the  boy  saw  in  a  dream  Christ  Himself  in  the 
half-cloak  saying  to  the  attendant  angels,  '  Martin,  still  a 
catechumen,  has  clothed  Me  with  this  garment,'  and  forth- 
with sought  baptism — that  is  only  a  form  of  the  same  spirit 
which,  from  the  days  of  Paul  to  our  own,  finds  inspiration 
in  the  thought  that  we  are  compassed  about  by  a  great 
cloud  of  witnesses. 

Henry  Martyn  was  baptised  in  the  old  church  of  St. 
Mary,  now  part  of  the  unfinished  cathedral.  He  was  the 
third  of  four  children.  The  eldest,  a  half-brother,  John, 
was  born  fifteen  years  before  him.  The  second  and  fourth 
were  his  own  sisters,  Laura  and  Sally  ;  the  former  married 
Mr.  Curgenven,  nephew  of  the  Vicar  of  Lamorran  of  that 
name  ;  the  latter  married  a  Mr.  Pearson.  Short-lived  as 
Henry  himself  proved  to  be,  all  three  died  before  him. 
To    both    the    sisters — and    especially   to   the    younger, 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  9 

who  proved  to  be  to  him  at  once  sister,  mother,  and 
spiritual  guide  to  Christ — there  are  frequent  allusions  in  his 
Journals  and  Letters.  His  mother,  named  Fleming,  and 
from  Ilfracombe,  died  in  the  year  after  his  birth,  having 
transmitted  her  delicate  constitution  to  her  children.  It 
was  through  his  father,  as  well  as  younger  sister,  that  the 
higher  influences  were  rained  on  Henry  Martyn.  In  the 
wayward  and  often  wilful  years  before  the  boy  yielded  to 
the  power  of  Christ's  resurrection,  the  father's  gentleness 
kept  him  in  the  right  way,  from  which  any  violent  oppo- 
sition would  have  driven  one  of  proud  spirit.  A  skilled 
accountant  and  practical  self-trained  mathematician,  the 
father  encouraged  in  the  boy  the  study  of  science,  and 
early  introduced  him  to  the  great  work  of  Newton.  Valu- 
ing the  higher  education  as  few  in  England  did  at  that 
time,  John  Martyn  ever  kept  before  the  lad  the  prospect 
of  a  University  course.  Looking  back  on  these  days,  and 
especially  on  his  last  visit  home  before  his  father's  un- 
expected death,  Henry  Martyn  wrote  when  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age : 

The  consummate  selfishness  and  exquisite  irritability 
of  my  mind  were  displayed  in  rage,  malice,  and  envy,  in 
pride  and  vain-glory  and  contempt  of  all ;  in  the  harshest 
language  to  my  sister,  and  even  to  my  father,  if  he  hap- 
pened to  differ  from  my  mind  and  will.  Oh,  what  an 
example  of  patience  and  mildness  was  he !  I  love  to 
think  of  his  excellent  qualities,  and  it  is  frequently  the 
anguish  of  my  heart  that  I  ever  could  be  so  base  and 
wicked  as  to  pain  him  by  the  slightest  neglect. 

Truro  was  fortunate  in  its  grammar  school — '  the  Eton 
of  Cornwall ' — and  in  the  headmaster  of  that  time,  the  Rev. 
Cornelius  Cardew,  D.D.,  whose  portrait  now  adorns  the  city's 


ro  HENRY  MARTYN 

council  chamber.  The  visitor  who  seeks  out  the  old  school 
in  Boscawen  Street  now  finds  it  converted  into  the  ware- 
room  of  an  ironmonger.  All  around  may  still  be  seen  the 
oak  panels  on  which  successive  generations  of  schoolboys  cut 
their  names.  A  pane  of  glass  on  which  Henry  Martyn 
scratched  his  name,  with  a  Greek  quotation  and  a  Hebrew 
word,  probably  on  his  last  visit  to  the  spot  before  he  left 
England  for  ever,  is  reverently  preserved  in  the  muniment 
room  of  the  corporation  buildings.  There  also  are  the 
musty  folios  of  the  dull  history  and  duller  divinity  which 
formed  the  school  library  of  that  uncritical  century,  but 
there  is  no  mears  of  tracing  the  reading  of  the  boys.  Into 
this  once  lightsome  room,  adorned  only  by  a  wood-carving 
of  the  galleon  which  formed  the  city  arms,  was  the  child 
Henry  Martyn  introduced  at  the  age  of  seven.  Dr.  Clement 
Carlyon,  who  was  one  of  his  fellow-pupils,  writes  of  him  as 
*  a  good-humoured  plain  little  fellow,  with  red  eyelids  devoid 
of  eyelashes.'  But  we  know  from  Mrs.  Sherwood,  when  she 
first  met  him  in  India — where  his  hair,  a  light  brown,  was 
raised  from  his  forehead,  which  was  a  remarkably  fine  one — 
that  although  his  features  were  not  regular,  'the  expression 
was  so  luminous,  so  intellectual,  so  affectionate,  so  beaming 
with  Divine  charity,  as  to  absorb  the  attention  of  every 
observer.'  His  sensitive  nature  and  violent  passionateness 
when  roused,  at  once  marked  him  out  as  the  victim  of  the 
older  boys.  In  a  happy  moment  Dr.  Cardew  put  '  little 
Henry  Martyn  '  under  the  care  of  one  of  them,  who  became 
his  protector,  tutor,  and  friend,  not  only  at  school  but  at 
college,  and  had  an  influence  on  his  spiritual  as  well  as  in- 
tellectual life  next  only  to  that  of  his  father,  sister,  and 
Charles  Simeon.  That  '  upper  boy ' — named  Kempthorne, 
son  of  Admiral  Kempthorne,  of  Helston — delighted  to  recall 


CORNWALL  AND  CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  n 

to  his  first  biographer,  Sargent,  'the  position  in  which  he  used 
to  sit,  the  thankful  expression  of  his  affectionate  countenance, 
when  he  happened  to  be  helped  out  of  some  difficulty,  and 
a  thousand  other  little  incidents  of  his  boyish  days,'  This 
boy-friend  '  had  often  the  happiness  of  rescuing  him  from 
the  grasp  of  oppressors,  and  has  never  seen  more  feeling 
of  gratitude  evinced  than  was  shown  by  him  on  those 
occasions.' 

Even  at  seven  Henry's  natural  cleverness  was  so 
apparent  that  high  expectations  of  his  future  were  formed. 
Dr.  Cardew  wrote  of  his  proficiency  in  the  classics  as  ex- 
ceeding that  of  most  of  his  school-fellows,  but  he  was  too 
lively  and  too  careless  to  apply  himself  as  some  did  who 
distanced  him.  '  He  was  of  a  lively,  cheerful  temper,  and, 
as  I  have  been  told  by  those  who  sat  near  him,  appeared  to 
be  the  idlest  among  them,  being  frequently  known  to  go 
up  to  his  lesson  with  little  or  no  preparation,  as  if  he  had 
learnt  it  by  intuition.'  The  delicacy  of  his  constitution 
naturally  kept  him  from  joining  in  the  rougher  games  of 
his  fellows.  Such  was  the  impression  made  by  his  progress 
at  school  that,  when  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  not  onl)' 
Dr.  Cardew  and  his  father,  but  many  of  his  father's  friends, 
urged  him  to  compete  for  a  vacant  scholarship  of  Corpus 
Christi  College,  Oxford,  With  only  a  letter  to  the  sub- 
rector  of  Exeter  College,  the  usual  Cornish  College,  the 
boy  found  himself  in  the  great  University  city.  The  ex- 
aminers were  divided  in  opinion  as  to  the  result,  but  a 
majority  gave  it  in  favour  of  one  with  whom  Henry  Martyn 
was  almost  equal.  Had  he  become  a  member  of  that 
University  at  fifteen,  with  character  unformed  and  know- 
ledge immature  or  superficial,  it  is  not  likely  that  Oxford 
would  have   gained  what,  at  a  riper  stage,  Cambridge,  fell 


12  HENRY  MARTYN 

heir  to.  His  own  comment,  written  afterwards  like  Augus- 
tine's in  the  Confessions,  was  this  :  '  The  profligate  acquain- 
tances I  had  in  Oxford  would  have  introduced  me  to 
scenes  of  debauchery,  in  which  I  must,  in  all  probability, 
from  my  extreme  youth,  have  sunk  for  ever.'  He  returned 
to  school  for  two  years,  to  extend  his  knowledge  of  the 
classics.  He  spent  his  leisure  in  shooting,  and  in  reading 
travels  and  Lord  Chesterfield's  Letters.  His  early  private 
Journal  reflects  severely  on  that  time  as  spent  in  '  attributing 
to  a  want  of  taste  for  mathematics  what  ought  to  have 
been  ascribed  to  idleness  ;  and  having  his  m.ind  in  a  roving, 
dissatisfied,  restless  condition,  seeking  his  chief  pleasure  in 
reading  and  human  praise.' 

In  this  spirit  he  began  residence  in  St.  John's  College, 
Cambridge,  in  the  month  of  October  1797,  as  a  pen- 
sioner or  unassisted  student.  To  that  University  he  was 
attracted  by  Kempthorne,  who  had  been  his  protector 
at  school,  and  had  just  distinguished  himself  at  St. 
John's,  coming  out  Senior  Wrangler.  Alike  from  the 
idleness  to  which  he  was  tempted  by  other  fellow-students 
who  were  new  to  him,  and  from  the  variety  of  study, 
with  no  other  motive  than  to  win  glory  of  men,  his 
friend  gradually  weaned  his  fickle  and  impulsive  genius. 
But  for  two  years  he  halted  between  two  opinions.  He 
was  ever  restless  because  ever  dissatisfied  with  himself, 
and  his  want  of  inward  peace  only  increased  the  natural 
irritability  of  his  temper.  He  indulged  in  bursts  of  passion 
on  slight  provocation,  and  sometimes  on  none  at  all,  save 
that  of  an  uneasy  conscience.  Like  Clive  about  the  same 
age,  Henry  Martyn  on  one  occasion  hurled  a  knife  at  his 
friend,  Cotterill,  who  just  escaped,  leaving  it  quivering  in  the 
panel  of  the  dining-hall.     The  father  and  younger  sister  at 


CORNWALL   AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1 781- 1803  15 

home  prayerfully  watched  over  him,  and  by  letter  sought  to 
guide  him.  On  his  periodical  visits  to  Truro  he  was  able 
at  least  to  report  success  in  his  examinations,  and  at  the 
close  of  1799  he  came  out  first,  to  his  father's  delight. 
The  providence  of  God  had  made  all  things  ready  for  the 
completion  of  His  eighteen  years'  work  in  the  convictions 
and  character  of  Henry  Martyn,  on  his  return  to  college. 
To  him,  at  the  opening  of  the  new  century,  all  things 
became  new. 

Cambridge,  first  of  all,  had  received — unconsciously  to 
its  leading  men  for  a  time  — that  new  spirit  which  has  ever 
since  identified  its  University  with  the  aggressive  missionar)' 
philanthropy  of  the  nineteenth  century.  For  nearly  the 
whole  period  of  Martyn's  life,  up  to  that  time,  Charles 
Simeon,  the  Eton  boy.  Fellow  of  King's  College,  and 
Christian  gentleman,  who  had  sought  the  position  only 
that  he  might  preach  Christ  after  the  manner  of  St.  Paul, 
had,  from  the  pulpit  of  Trinity  Church,  been  silently  trans- 
forming academic  life.  He  had  become  the  trusted  agent 
of  Charles  Grant  and  George  Udny,  the  Bengal  civilians 
who  were  ready  to  establish  an  eight-fold  mission  in 
Bengal  as  soon  as  he  could  send  out  the  men.  Failing  to 
find  these,  he  had  brought  about  the  foundation  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  on  April  12,  1799.  Some 
years  before  that,  Charles  Grant  exchanged  his  seat  in  the 
Bengal  council  for  one  of  the  '  chairs '  of  the  Court  of 
Directors.  He  became  their  chairman,  and  it  was  to  Simeon 
that  he  turned  for  East  India  chaplains.  Cambridge,  even 
more  than  London  itself,  had  become  the  centre  of  the 
spiritual  life  of  the  Church  of  England. 

First   among   the   fellow-students   of   Henry   Martyn 
though  soon  to  leave  for  India  when  he  entered  it,  was  his 


1 6  HENRY  MARTYN 

future  friend,  Claudius  Buchanan,  B.A.  of  1796  and  Fellow 
of  Queen's  College,  of  which  Isaac  Milner  was  president. 
Magdalene  College — which  had  sent  David  Brown  to  Cal- 
cutta in  1786,  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  other  four,  who 
are  for  ever  memorable  as 'the  Five  Chaplains' — had  among 
its  students  of  the  same  standing  as  Martyn,  Charles 
Grant's  two  distinguished  sons,  of  whom  one  became  Lord 
Glenelg  and  a  cabinet  minister,  and  the  younger,  Robert, 
was  afterwards  Governor  of  Bombay,  the  still  valued 
hymnologist,  and  the  warm  friend  of  Dr.  John  Wilson. 
Thomason — seven  years  older  than  Martyn,  and  induced 
afterwards,  by  his  example,  to  become  a  Bengal  chaplain — 
was  Simeon's  curate  and  substitute  in  the  closing  years  of 
the  last  century,  when  to  Mr.  Thornton  of  Clapham,  who 
had  warned  him  against  preaching  five  sermons  a  week,  as 
casting  the  net  too  often  to  allovl^  time  to  mend  it,  he  drew 
this  picture  of  college  life  :  '  There  are  reasons  for  fearing 
the  mathematical  religion  which  so  prevails  here.  Here, 
also,  is  everything  that  can  contribute  to  the  ease  and 
comfort  of  life.  Whatever  pampers  the  appetite  and 
administers  fuel  to  sloth  and  indolence  is  to  be  found  in 
abundance.  Nothing  is  left  to  want  or  desire.  Here  is 
the  danger  ;  this  is  the  horrible  precipice.'  Corrie  and 
Dealtry,  also  of  the  Five  Chaplains,  and  afterwards  first 
and  second  Bishops  of  Madras,  were  of  Martyn's  Cam- 
bridge time,  the  latter  graduating  before,  and  the  former 
just  after,  him. 

Hardly  had  Henry  Martyn  returned  to  college  in 
January  1800  when  he  received  from  his  half-brother  news 
of  the  death  of  their  father,  whom  he  had  just  before  left 
*  in  great  health  and  spirits.'  The  first  result  was  '  conster- 
nation,' and  then,  as  he  told  his  sister, 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  17 

I  was  extremely  low-spirited,  and,  like  most  people, 
began  to  consider  seriously,  without  any  particular  de- 
termination, that  invisible  world  to  which  he  had  gone  and 
to  which  I  must  one  day  go.  As  I  had  no  taste  at  this  time 
for  my  usual  studies,  I  took  up  my  Bible.  Nevertheless  I 
often  took  up  other  books  to  engage  my  attention,  and 
should  have  continued  to  do  so  had  not  Kempthorne 
advised  me  to  make  this  time  an  occasion  of  serious 
reflection.  I  began  with  the  Acts,  as  being  the  most 
amusing,  and  when  I  was  entertained  with  the  narrative  I 
found  myself  insensibly  led  to  inquire  more  attentively  into 
the  doctrines  of  the  Apostles.  .  .  .  On  the  first  night  after, 
I  began  to  pray  from  a  precomposed  form,  in  which  I 
thanked  God  in  general  for  having  sent  Christ  into  the 
world.  But  though  I  prayed  for  pardon  I  had  little  sense 
of  my  own  sinfulness  ;  nevertheless,  I  began  to  consider 
myself  a  religious  man. 

The  college  chapel  service  at  once  had  a  new  meaning 
for  the  student  whom  death  had  shaken  and  the  Book  of 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  had  awakened.  '  The  first  time 
after  this  that  I  went  to  chapel  I  saw,  with  some  degree  of 
surprise  at  my  former  inattention,  that  in  the  Magnificat 
there  was  a  great  degree  of  joy  expressed  at  the  coming  of 
Christ,  which  I  thought  but  reasonable.'  His  friend  then 
lent  him  Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the 
Soul,  but,  because  the  first  part  of  that  book  '  appeared  to 
make  religion  consist  too  much  in  humiliation,  and  my 
proud  and  wicked  heart  would  not  bear  to  be  brought  down 
into  the  dust,'  he  could  not  bear  to  read  it.  '  Soon,  however,' 
as  he  afterwards  told  his  sister,  who  had  prayed  for  this 
very  thing  all  her  life,  as  Monica  had  agonised  for  Augustine, 
*  I  began  to  attend  more  diligently  to  the  words  of  our 
Saviour  in  the  New  Testament,  and  to  devour  them  with 

C 


i8  HENRY  MARTYN 

delight.  When  the  offers  of  mercy  and  forgiveness  were 
made  so  freely,  I  supplicated  to  be  made  partaker  of  the 
covenant  of  grace  with  eagerness  and  hope,  and  thanks  be 
to  the  ever-blessed  Trinity  for  not  leaving  me  without 
comfort'  The  doctrines  of  the  Apostles,  based  on  the 
narrative  of  the  Acts,  and  confirming  the  teaching  of  the 
family  in  early  youth,  were  seen  to  be  in  accord  with  the 
words  of  the  Master,  and  thus  Henry  Martyn  started  on 
the  Christian  life  an  evangelical  of  the  Evangelicals.  In 
the  preaching  and  the  personal  friendship  of  the  minister 
of  Trinity  Church  he  found  sympathetic  guidance,  and  so 
'gradually  acquired  more  knowledge  in  divine  things.'  All 
the  hitherto  irregular  impulses  of  his  fervent  Celtic  nature 
received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  became 
centred  in  the  living,  reigning,  personal  Christ.  All  the 
restless  longings  of  his  soul  and  his  senses  found  their 
satisfaction  for  ever  in  the  service  of  Him  who  had  said 
'  He  that  loveth  his  life  shall  lose  it.  If  any  man  serve  Me, 
let  him  follow  Me,  and  where  I  am  there  shall  also  My 
servant  be.'  All  the  pride  of  his  genius,  his  intellectual  am- 
bition, and  his  love  of  praise  became  purged  by  the  determi- 
nation thenceforth  to  know  nothing  save  the  Crucified  One. 
His  first  temptation  and  test  of  honest  fitness  for  such 
service  was  found  in  the  examination  for  degrees,  and 
especially  for  the  greatest  honour  of  all,  that  of  Senior 
Wrangler.  If  we  place  his  conversion  to  Christ  at  the 
close  of  his  nineteenth  year,  we  find  that  the  whole  of  his 
twentieth  was  spent  in  the  necessary  preparation  for  the 
competition,  and  in  the  accompanying  spiritual  struggles. 
It  is  not  surprising  that,  when  looking  back  on  that  year 
from  higher  experiences,  he  should  be  severe  in  his  self- 
examination.     But  the  path  of  duty  clearly  lay  in  hard 


CORNWALL  AND  CAMBRIDGE,    17S1-1803  19 

and  constant  study,  and  not  alone  in  religious  meditation. 
It  was  not  surprising  that  the  experienced  convert  should 
afterwards  pronounce  the  former  worldly,  and  lament  that 
'the  intenseness  with  which  I  pursued  my  studies '  prevented 
his  growth  in  contrition,  and  in  a  knowledge  of  the  excel- 
lency of  Christ.  But  so  severe  a  judge  as  his  friend  and 
fellow-student  John  Sargent,  who  knew  all  the  facts,  and 
became  not  less  saintly  than  himself,  declares  that  there 
was  no  reason,  save  his  own  humility,  for  his  suspecting 
a  want  of  vitality  at  least  in  his  spiritual  life  in  this 
critical  year.  His  new-found  life  in  Christ,  and  delight  in 
the  Bible,  reacted  on  his  whole  nature,  elevating  it  to  that 
degree  of  spontaneous  energy  free  from  all  self-consciousness 
which  is  the  surest  condition,  divine  and  human,  of  success. 
He  himself  used  to  tell  how,  when  he  entered  the  Senate 
House,  the  text  of  a  sermon  he  had  recently  heard  quieted 
his  spirit :  '  Seekest  thou  great  things  for  thyself  ?  Seek 
them  not,  saith  the  Lord.' 

Henry  Martyn  was  not  fully  twenty  years  of  age  when, 
in  January  1801,  he  came  out  Senior  Wrangler  and  first 
Smith's  (mathematical)  Prizeman.  His  year  was  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  in  the  recent  history  of  the  University. 
Woodall  of  Pembroke  was  second.  Robert  Grant  was 
third,  and  Charles  Grant  (Lord  Glenelg)  fourth  Wrangler. 
They  distanced  him  in  classics,  once  his  strongest  point. 
But  the  boy  who  entered  college  believing  that  geometry 
was  to  be  learned  by  committing  Euclid  ^  to  memory  had 

'  Rev.  Henry  Bailey,  D.D. ,  Canon  of  Canterbury,  supplies  us  with  this 
story  from  the  lips  of  the  late  Rev.  T.  H.  Shepherd,  who  was  the  last 
surviving  Canon  of  the  Collegiate  Church  in  Southwell  : — 

'  Henry  Martyn  had  just  entered  the  College  as  a  Freshman  under  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Catton.  I  was  the  year  above  him,  i.e.  second  year  man  ;  and  Mr. 
Gallon  sent  for  me  to  his  rooms,  telling  me  of  Martyn,  as  a  quiet  youth,  with 

C  2 


20  HENRY  MARTYN 

given  the  whole  strength  of  his  powers  during  three 
)  ears  to  the  college  examinations,  so  as  to  please  his 
father  and  win  the  applause  of  his  fellows.  Until  recently 
it  was  possible  for  a  student  to  enter  the  University  igno- 
rant of  mathematics,  and  to  come  out  Senior  Wrangler, 
as  the  late  Professor  Kelland  used  to  tell  his  Edinburgh 
class.  Such  was  the  reverence  for  Newton  that  the 
Leibnizian  methods  were  not  recognised  in  the  University 
studies  till  the  reform  of  the  Cambridge  course  was  intro- 
duced by  Dean  Peacock  and  his  contemporaries.  In 
those  earlier  days,  Dr.  Carlyon,'  who  had  been  one  of  his 
school-fellows,  tells  us  high  Wranglers  won  their  places  by 
correct  book-work  rapidly  produced  in  oral  exarnination 
from  four  set  treatises  by  Wood  and  Vince,  on  optics, 
mechanics,  hydrostatics,  and  astronomy  ;  problem  papers 
were  answered  by  the  best  men.  Martyn's  grand-nephew, 
himself  a  distinguished  mathematician,  remarks  that  he 
sprang  from  a  family  of  calculators,  and  so  had  the  patience 
and  taste  necessary  for  mathematical  attainments.  There 
is  no  evidence  that  he  pursued  science  even  at  Cambridge 
except  as  a  tutor  ;  he  does  not  appear  to  have  been  a 
mathematical  examiner  even  in  his  own  college, 

some  knowledge  of  classics,  but  utterly  unable  as  it  seemed  to  make  anything 
of  even  the  First  Proposition  of  Euclid,  and  desiring  me  to  have  him  into  my 
rooms,  and  see  what  I  could  do  for  him  in  this  matter.  Accordingly,  we  s])ent 
some  time  together,  but  all  my  efforts  appeared  to  be  in  vain  ;  and  Martyn,  in 
sheer  despair,  was  about  to  make  his  way  to  the  coach  office,  and  take  his 
place  the  following  day  back  to  Truro,  his  native  town.  I  urged  him  not  to 
be  so  precipitate,  but  to  come  to  me  the  next  day,  and  have  another  trial 
with  Euclid.  After  some  time  light  seemed  suddenly  to  flash  upon  his  mind, 
with  clear  comprehension  of  the  hitherto  dark  problem,  and  he  threw  up  his 
cap  for  joy  at  his  Eureka.  The  Second  Proposition  was  soon  taken,  and  with 
perfect  success ;  but  in  truth  his  progress  was  such  and  so  rapid,  that  he 
di'-tanced  every  one  in  his  year,  and,  as  everyone  knows,  became  Senior 
Wrangler.'  '  Early  Years  and  Late  Reflections,  vol.  iii.  p.  5. 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1S03  21 

The  truth  is  seen  in  his  own  comment  on  a  success 
which  at  once  won  for  him  admiration  and  deference  in 
circles  that  could  not  appreciate  the  lofty  Christian  aims  of 
his  life  :  '  I  obtained  my  highest  wishes,  but  was  surprised  to 
find  that  I  had  grasped  a  shadow.'  He  was  called  to  other 
service,  and  for  that  he  brought  his  University  triumph 
with  him  to  the  feet  of  Christ.  He  was  too  cultured, 
however,  to  despise  learning  or  academic  reputation, 
for  they  might  be  made  weapons  for  the  Master's  use, 
and  we  shall  find  him  wielding  both  alike  in  home 
and  foreign  missions.  His  genius  and  learning  found 
expression  in  the  study,  the  translation,  and  the  unceasing 
application  to  the  consciences  of  men,  of  the  Word  of  God. 
His  early  love  of  the  classics  of  Greece  and  Rome  prevailed 
over  his  later  mathematical  studies  to  make  him  an  ardent 
philologist,  with  the  promise,  had  he  lived,  of  becoming  an 
Orientalist  of  the  type  of  Sir  William  Jones.  If  he  was 
known  in  his  college  as  '  the  man  who  had  not  lost  an 
hour '  when  University  honours  alone  were  his  object,  how 
much  would  not  his  unresting  perseverance  have  accom- 
plished, when  directed  by  the  highest  of  all  motives,  had 
he  been  spared  to  the  age  of  William  Carey  or  John 
Wilson  ? 

The  time  had  come  for  the  brilliant  student  to  decide 
on  his  profession.  The  same  ambition  which  had  stimu- 
lated him  to  his  college  successes,  had  led  him  to  resolve  on 
studying  the  law,  as  the  most  lucrative.  '  I  could  not  con- 
sent to  be  poor  for  Christ's  sake,'  was  his  own  language  at 
a  later  period.  But  Christ  Himself  had  changed  all  that,  as 
effectually  as  when  the  young  lawyer  Saul  was  stricken 
down  after  the  martyr  testimony  of  Stephen.  The  year 
1 801    was   to   him  one   of  comparative   solitude,  both  in 


22  HENRY  MARTY N 

Cornwall  and  at  the  University,  where  he  cultivated  the 
fruitful  grace  of  meditation,  learning  to  know  and  to  master 
himself,  as  he  came  to  know  more  and  more  intimately, 
and  to  submit  himself  to,  Christ  Jesus.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  inner  circle  of  Simeon's  friends,  and  to  unreserved 
intercourse  with  men  of  his  own  age  who  had  come  to 
Christ  before  him.  Especially  was  he  drawn  to  John 
Sargent,  one  year  his  senior,  who  was  about  to  leave  the 
University  for  the  Temple,  that  he  might  by  the  study  of 
law  prepare  himself  to  administer  worthily  the  family  estate 
to  which  he  was  to  succeed.  His  son-in-law,  the  late 
Bishop  S.  Wilberforce,  has  left  us  a  charming  picture'  of 
this  saintly  man,  of  whom  Martyn  wrote,  even  at  college, 
'  Sargent  seems  to  be  outstripping  us  all.'  While  Simeon 
ever,  by  his  counsels  and  his  example,  impressed  on  the 
choice  youth  whom  he  gathered  around  him  the  attractive- 
ness of  the  Christian  ministry ,2  Sargent  bewailed  that  only  a 
painful  sense  of  duty  to  others  kept  him  from  it,  and  in  a 
few  years  he  succeeded  in  entering  its  consecrated  ranks. 
Among  such  friends,  and  with  his  own  heart  growing  in 
the  experience  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Henry 
Martyn  was  constrained,  notwithstanding  his  new  humble- 
ness of  mind,  to  hear  and  obey  the  divine  call.  He 
who  had  received  such  mercy  must  tell  it  abroad  ;  he  who 
had  known  such  love  must  bring  others  to  share  the 
sweetness.     Hence  he  writes  to  his  sister  : 

When  we  consider  the  misery  and  darkness  of  the 
unregenerate  world,  oh  !  with  how  much  reason  shall  we 
burst  out  into  thanksgiving  to  God,  who  has  called  us  in 
His  mercy  through  Christ  Jesus  !     What  are  we,  that  we 

'   Introduction  \.o  Jou7nah  and  Le/ters  of  Henry  Martyn,  1837. 
i'  See    the  delightful   C/iarles  Simeon,  by  H.  C.  G.   Moule,  M.A.  (1892), 
published  since  this  was  written. 


CORNWALL  AND  CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  23 

should  thus  be  made  objects  of  distinguishing  grace  ! 
Who,  then,  that  reflects  upon  the  rock  from  which  he  was 
hewn,  but  must  rejoice  to  give  himself  entirely  and  with- 
out reserve  to  God,  to  be  sanctified  by  His  Spirit.  The 
soul  that  has  truly  experienced  the  love  of  God,  will  not  stay 
meanly  inquiring  how  much  he  shall  do,  and  thus  limit  his 
service,  but  will  be  earnestly  seeking  more  and  more  to 
know  the  will  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  that  he  may  be 
enabled  to  do  it.  Oh,  may  we  both  be  thus  minded  !  may 
we  experience  Christ  to  be  our  all  in  all,  not  only  as  our 
Redeemer,  but  also  as  the  fountain  of  grace.  Those 
passages  of  the  Word  of  God  which  you  have  quoted  on 
this  head,  are  indeed  awakening  ;  may  they  teach  us  to 
breathe  after  holiness,  to  be  more  and  more  dead  to  the 
world,  and  alive  unto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ.  We  are 
as  lights  in  the  world  ;  how  needful  then  that  our  tempers 
and  lives  should  manifest  our  high  and  heavenly  calling ! 
Let  us,  as  we  do,  provoke  one  another  to  good  works,  not 
doubting  that  God  will  bless  our  feeble  endeavours  to  His 
glory. 

The  next  year,  1802,  saw  Martyn  Fellow  of  his  College 
and  the  winner  of  the  first  University  prize  for  a  Latin 
essay,  open  to  those  who  had  just  taken  the  Bachelor  of 
Arts  degree.  It  ended  in  his  determination  to  offer  himself 
to  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  He  had  no  sooner 
resolved  to  be  a  minister  of  Christ  than  he  began  such 
home  mission  work  as  lay  to  his  hands  among  his  fellow 
members  of  the  University,  and  in  the  city  where,  at  a 
recent  period,  one  who  closely  resembled  him  in  some 
points.  Ion  Keith-Falconer,  laboured.  When  ministering 
to  a  dying  man  he  found  that  the  daughters  had  removed 
to  another  house,  where  they  were  cheerful,  and  one  of  the 
students  was  reading  a  play  to  them.  *  A  play  !  when  their 
father  was  lying  in  the  agonies  of  death  !    What  a  species 


24  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  consolation !  I  rebuked  him  so  sharply,  and,  I  am 
afraid,  so  intemperately,  that  a  quarrel  will  perhaps  ensue.' 
This  is  the  first  of  those  cases  in  which  the  impulsively 
faithful  Christian,  testifying  for  his  Master,  often  roused 
hatred  to  himself  But  the  student  afterwards  thanked  him 
for  his  words,  became  a  new  man,  and  went  out  to  India, 
where  he  laboured  for  a  time  by  his  side.  After  a  summer 
tour — during  which  he  walked  to  Liverpool,  and  then 
through  Wales,  ascending  Snowdon—  Henry  Martyn  found 
himself  in  the  old  home  in  Truro,  then  occupied  by  his 
brother.  From  the  noise  of  a  large  family  he  moved  to 
Woodbury  :  '  With  my  brother-in-law  '  I  passed  some  of 
the  sweetest  moments  in  my  life.  The  deep  solitude  of 
the  place  favoured  meditation  ;  and  the  romantic  scenery 
around  supplied  great  external  sources  of  pleasure.' 

Along  the  beautiful  coast  of  Cornwall  and  Devon  there 
is  no  spot  more  beautiful  than  Woodbury.  It  is  henceforth 
sacred  as  Moulton  in  Carey's  life,  and  St.  Andrews  in 
Alexander  Duff's,  for  there  Henry  Martyn  wrestled  out 
his  deliberate  dedication  to  the  service  of  Christ  in  India 
and  Persia.  The  Fal  river  is  there  just  beginning  to  open 
out  into  the  lovely  estuary  which,  down  almost  to  Falmouth 
town  and  Carrick  Road,  between  Pendennis  and  St.  Mawes, 
is  clothed  on  either  side  with  umbrageous  woods.  On  the 
left  shore,  after  leaving  the  point  from  which  is  the  best 
view  of  Truro  and  its  cathedral,  now  known  as  the  Queen's 
View,  there  is  Malpas,  and  further  on  are  the  sylvan  glories 
of  Tregothnan.  On  the  right  shore,  sloping  down  to  the 
ever-moving  tide,  are  the  oaks,  ilexes,  and  firs  which  inclose 
Woodbury,  recently  rebuilt.  There  the  Cambridge  scholar 
of  twenty-one  roamed  and  read  his  Bible  (especially  Isaiah); 
'  Rev.  Mr.  Curgenven,  curate  of  Kenwyn  and  Kea. 


CORNWALL  AND  CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  25 

*and  from  this  I  derived  great  spirituality  of  mind  com- 
pared with  what  I  had  known  before.'  He  returned  to 
Cambridge  and  its  tutorial  duties,  ready  to  become  Simeon's 
curate,  and  ultimately  to  go  abroad  when  the  definite  call 
should  come.  In  the  first  conversation  which  he  had  with 
him,  Simeon,  who  had  been  reading  the  last  number  of 
the  Periodical  Accounts  from  Serampore,  drew  attention  to 
the  results  of  William  Carey's  work,  in  the  first  nine  years 
of  his  pioneering,  as  showing  what  a  single  missionary 
could  accomplish.  From  this  time,  in  his  letters  and 
journals,  we  find  all  his  thoughts  and  reading,  when  alone, 
revolving  around  the  call  to  the  East. 

\Zo}^,  Jcxnuaiy  12  to  19. — Reading  Lowth  on  Isaiah — 
Acts — and  abridged  Bishop  Hopkins'  first  sermon  on 
Regeneration.  On  the  19th  called  on  Simeon,  from  whom 
I  found  that  I  was  to  go  to  the  East  Indies,  not  as  a 
missionary,  but  in  some  superior  capacity  ;  to  be  stationed 
at  Calcutta,  or  possibly  at  Ceylon.  This  prospect  of  this 
world's  happiness  gave  me  rather  pain  than  pleasure,  which 
convinced  me  that  I  had  before  been  running  away  from 
the  world,  rather  than  overcoming  it.  During  the  whole 
course  of  the  day,  I  was  more  worldly  than  for  some  time 
past,  unsettled  and  dissatisfied.  In  conversation,  therefore, 
I  found  great  levity,  pride,  and  bitterness.  What  a  sink 
of  corruption  is  this  heart,  and  yet  I  can  go  on  from  day 
to  day  in  self-seeking  and  self-pleasing !  Lord,  shew  me 
myself;  nothing  but  '  wounds  and  bruises,  and  putrefying 
sores,'  and  teach  me  to  live  by  faith  on  Christ  my  all. 

St.  John's,  January  17,  1803. 

My  dear  Sargent, — G.  and  H.  seem  to  disapprove 
of  my  project  much  ;  anjj  on  this  account  I  have  been 
rather  discouraged  of  late,  though  not  in  any  degree  con- 
vinced.    It  would  be  more  satisfactory  to  go  out  with  the 


26  HENRY  MARTYN 

full  approbation  of  my  friends,  but  it  is  in  vain  to  attempt 
to  please  man.  In  doubtful  cases,  we  are  to  use  the 
opinions  of  others  no  further  than  as  means  of  directing 
our  own  judgment.  My  sister  has  also  objected  to  it,  on 
the  score  of  my  deficiency  in  that  deep  and  solid  experience 
necessary  in  a  missionary. 

February  4. — Read  Lowth  in  the  afternoon,  till  I  was 
quite  tired.  Endeavoured  to  think  ofjobxiv.  14,  and  to 
have  solemn  thoughts  of  death,  but  could  not  find  them 
before  my  pupil  came,  to  whom  I  explained  justification  by 
faith,  as  he  had  ridiculed  Methodism.  But  talk  upon  what 
I  will,  or  with  whom  I  will,  conversation  leaves  me  ruffled 
and  discomposed.  From  what  does  this  arise  ?  From  a 
want  of  the  sense  of  God's  presence  when  I  am  with  others. 

February  6. — Read  the  Scriptures,  between  breakfast 
and  church,  in  a  very  wandering  and  unsettled  manner, 
and  in  my  walk  was  very  weak  in  desires  after  God.  As 
I  found  myself  about  the  middle  of  the  day  full  of  pride 
and  formality,  I  found  some  relief  in  prayer.  Sat  with 
H.  and  D.  after  dinner,  till  three,  but  though  silent,  was 
destitute  of  humility.  Read  some  of  S.  Pearce's  ^  life,  and 
was  much  interested  by  his  account  of  the  workings  of  his 
mind  on  the  subject  of  his  mission.  Saw  reason  to  be 
thankful  that  I  had  no  such  tender  ties  to  confine  me  at 
home,  as  he  seemed  to  have ;  and  to  be  amazed  at  myself, 
in  not  making  it  a  more  frequent  object  of  reflection,  and 
yet  to  praise  God  for  calling  me  to  minister  in  the  glorious 
work  of  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles. 

Mardi  27. — The  lectures  in  chemistry  and  anatomy  I 
was  much  engaged  with,  without  receiving  much  instruction. 
A  violent  cold  and  cough  led  me  to  prepare  myself  for  an 
inquiry  into  my  views  of  death.  I  was  enabled  to  rest 
composed  on  the  Rock  of  Ages.  Oh,  what  mercy  shewn 
to  the  chief  of  sinners. 

'  William  Carey's  most  intimate  friend.     See  p.  46  of  Life  of  William 
Carey,  D.D.,  2nd  ed.  (John  Murray). 


CORNWALL  AND  CAMBRLDGE,   1781-1803  27 

April  22. — Was  ashamed  to  confess  to that  I  was 

to  be  Mr.  Simeon's  curate,  a  despicable  fear  of  man  from 
which  I  vainly  thought  myself  free.  He,  however,  asked 
me  if  I  was  not  to  be,  and  so  I  was  obliged  to  tell  him. 
Jer.  i.  17. 

May  8. — Expressed  myself  contemptuously  of ,  who 

preached  at  St.  Mary's.  Such  manifestations  of  arrogance 
which  embody,  as  it  were,  my  inward  pride,  wound  my 
spirit  inexpressibly,  not  to  contrition,  but  to  a  sullen  sense 
of  guilt.  Read  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy.  I  prayed  with 
some  earnestness. 

June  13  to  24. — Passed  in  tolerable  comfort  upon  the 
whole ;  though  I  could  on  no  day  say  my  walk  had  been 
close  with  God.  Read  Sir  G.  Staunton's  Embassy  to 
China,  and  was  convinced  of  the  propriety  of  being  sent 
thither.  But  I  have  still  the  spirit  of  worldly  men  when  I 
read  worldly  books.  I  felt  more  curiosity  about  the  man- 
ners of  this  people  than  love  and  pity  towards  their  souls. 

St.  John's,  June  30,  1803. 

Dear  Sargent, — May  you,  as  long  as  you  shall  give  me 
your  acquaintance,  direct  me  to  the  casting  down  of  all 
high  imaginations.  Possibly  it  may  be  a  cross  to  you  to 
tell  me  or  any  one  of  his  faults.  But  should  I  be  at  last 
a  castaway,  or  at  least  dishonour  Christ  through  some  sin, 
which  for  want  of  faithful  admonition  remained  unmorti- 
fied,  how  bitter  would  be  your  reflections  !  I  conjure  you, 
therefore,  my  dear  friend,  as  you  value  the  good  of  the 
souls  to  whom  I  am  to  preach,  and  my  own  eternal 
interests,  that  you  tell  me  what  you  think  to  be,  in  my  life, 
spirit,  or  temper,  not  according  to  the  will  of  God  my 
Saviour.  D.  has  heard  about  a  religious  young  man 
of  seventeen,  who  wants  to  come  to  College,  but  has  only 
20/.  a  year.  He  is  very  clever,  and  from  the  perusal  of 
some  poems  which  he  has  published,  I  am  much  interested 
about  him.     His  name  is  H.  K.  White. 


28  HENRY  MARTYN 

July  ly. — Rose  at  half-past  five,  and  walked  a  little 
before  chapel  in  happy  frame  of  mind  ;  but  the  sunshine 
was  presently  overcast  by  my  carelessly  neglecting  to 
speak  for  the  good  of  two  men,  when  I  had  an  opportunity. 
The  pain  was,  moreover,  increased  by  the  prospect  of  the 
incessant  watchfulness  for  opportunities  I  should  use ;  never- 
theless, resolved  that  I  would  do  so  through  grace.  The 
dreadful  act  of  disobeying  God,  and  the  baseness  of  being 
unwilling  to  incur  the  contempt  of  men,  for  the  sake  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  who  had  done  so  much  for  me,  and  the 
cruelty  of  not  longing  to  save  souls,  were  the  considerations 
that  pressed  on  my  mind. 

/u/y  18  to  2)0. — Gained  no  ground  in  all  this  time; 
stayed  a  few  days  at  Shelford,  but  was  much  distracted 
and  unsettled  for  want  of  solitude.  Felt  the  passion  of 
envy  rankle  in  my  bosom  on  a  certain  occasion.  Seldom 
enjoyed  peace,  but  was  much  under  the  power  of  corruption. 
Read  Butler's  A na/ooy  ;  Jon.  Edwards  On  the  Affections  ;  in 
great  hopes  that  this  book  will  be  of  essential  use  to  me. 

September  10. — Was  most  deeply  affected  with  reading 
the  account  of  the  apostasy  ot  Lewis  and  Broomhall,  in  the 
transactions  of  the  Missionary  Society.  When  I  first 
came  to  the  account  of  the  awful  death  of  the  former,  I 
cannot  describe  the  sense  I  had  of  the  reality  of  religion, — 
that  there  is  a  God  who  testifies  His  hatred  of  sin  ;  *my 
flesh  trembled  for  fear  of  His  judgments.'  Afterwards, 
coming  to  the  account  of  Broomhall's  sudden  turn  to 
Deism,  I  could  not  help  even  bursting  into  tears  of  anxiety 
and  terror  at  my  own  extreme  danger ;  because  I  have 
often  thought,  that  if  I  ever  should  make  shipwreck,  it 
would  be  on  the  rocks  of  sensuality  or  infidelity.  The 
hollowness  of  Broomhall's  arguments  was  so  apparent,  that 
I  could  only  attribute  his  fall  to  the  neglect  of  inquiring 
after  the  rational  foundation  of  his  faith. 

September  12. — Read  some  of  the  minor  prophets,  and 
Greek    Testament,   and    the   number   of    the   Missiotiary 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  29 

Transactions.  H.  drank  tea  with  me  in  the  evening.  I 
read  some  of  the  missionary  accounts.  The  account  of 
their  sufferings  and  diligence  could  not  but  tend  to  lower 
my  notions  of  myself  I  was  almost  ashamed  at  my  having 
such  comforts  about  me,  and  at  my  own  unprofitableness. 

September  13. — Received  a  letter  from  my  sister,  in 
which  she  expressed  her  opinion  of  my  unfitness  for  the 
work  of  a  missionary.  My  want  of  Christian  experience 
filled  me  with  many  disquieting  doubts,  and  this  thought 
troubled  me  among  many  others,  as  it  has  often  done  :  '  I 
am  not  only  not  so  holy  as  T  ought,  but  I  do  not  strive  to 
have  my  soul  wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  devotion 
every  moment' 

September  17. — Read  Dr.  Vanderkemp's  mission  to  Kaf- 
raria.  What  a  man !  In  heaven  I  shall  think  myself  well 
off,  if  I  obtain  but  the  lowest  seat  among  such,  though  now 
I  am  fond  of  giving  myself  a  high  one. 

St.  John's,  September  29,  1803. 

How  long  it  seems  since  I  heard  from  you,  my  dear 
Sargent.  My  studies  during  the  last  three  months  have 
been  Hebrew,  Greek  Testament,  Jon.  Edwards  On  Original 
Sin,  and  On  the  Affections,  and  Bishop  Hopkins, — your 
favourite  and  mine.  Never  did  I  read  such  energetic  lan- 
guage, such  powerful  appeals  to  the  conscience.  Somehow 
or  other  he  is  able  to  excite  most  constant  interest,  say 
what  he  will.  I  have  been  lately  reading  the  first  volume 
of  the  Repaints  of  the  Missionary  Society,  who  sent  out  so 
many  to  Otaheite  and  the  southern  parts  of  Africa.  You 
would  find  the  account  of  Dr.  Vanderkemp's  mission  into 
Kafraria  infinitely  entertaining.  It  appeared  so  much  so  to 
me,  that  I  could  read  nothing  else  while  it  lasted.  Respect- 
ing my  own  concerns  in  this  way,  no  material  change  has 
taken  place,  either  externally  or  internally,  except  that  my 
sister  thinks  me  unqualified,  through  want  of  religious 
experience,  and  that  I  find  greater  pleasure  at  the  prospect 


30  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  it.  I  am  conscious,  however,  of  viewing  things  too  much 
on  the  bright  side,  and  think  more  readily  of  the  happiness 
of  seeing  the  desert  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,  than  of 
pain,  and  fatigue,  and  crosses,  and  disappointments.  How- 
ever it  shall  be  determined  for  me,  it  is  my  duty  to  crush 
the  risings  of  self-will,  so  as  to  be  cheerfully  prepared  to  go 
or  stay. 

October!. — In  the  afternoon  read,  in  Law's  Serious  Call ^ 
the  chapter  on  '  Resignation,'  and  prayed  for  it,  according 
to  his  direction.  I  rather  think  a  regular  distribution  of 
the  day  for  prayer,  to  obtain  the  three  great  graces  of 
humility,  love,  and  resignation,  would  be  far  the  best  way 
to  grow  in  them.  The  music  at  chapel  led  my  thoughts  to 
heaven,  and  I  went  cheerfully  to  Mrs.  S.  H.  drank  tea  with 
me  afterwards.  As  there  was  in  the  CJiristian  Observer 
something  of  my  own,  the  first  which  ever  appeared  in 
print,  I  felt  myself  going  off  to  vanity  and  levity. 

October  g. — Rose  at  six,  which  is  earlier  than  of  late,  and 
passed  the  whole  morning  in  great  tranquillity.  I  prayed 
to  be  sent  out  to  China,  and  rejoiced  in  the  prospect  of  the 
glorious  day  when  Christ  shall  be  glorified  on  earth.  At 
chapel  the  music  of  the  chant  and  anthem  seemed  to  be  in 
my  ears  as  the  sounds  of  heaven,  particularly  the  anthem, 
I  Chron.  xxix.  lo.  But  these  joys,  alas !  partake  much  of 
the  flesh  in  their  transitory  nature.  At  chapel  I  wished  to 
return  to  my  rooms  to  read  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant 
of  God,  &c.  in  the  Revelation,  but  when  I  came  to  it 
I  found  little  pleasure.  The  sound  of  the  music  had  ceased, 
and  with  it  my  joy,  and  nothing  remained  but  evil  temper, 
darkness,  and  unbelief  All  this  time  I  had  forgotten  what 
it  is  to  be  a  poor  humble  soul.  I  had  floated  off  the  Rock 
of  Ages  into  the  deep,  where  I  was  beginning  to  sink,  had 
not  the  Saviour  stretched  out  His  hand,  and  said  to  me,  'It 
is  I  ! '  Let  me  never  be  cheated  out  of  my  dependence  on 
Him,  nor  ever  forget  my  need  of  Him. 

October  I2. — Reading  Paley's  Evidences.    Had  my  pride 


CORNWALL  AND  CAMBRIDGE,   1781-1803  33 

deeply  wounded  to-day,  and  perceived  that  I  was  far  from 
humility.  Great  bitterness  and  dislike  arose  in  my  mind 
against  the  man  who  had  been  the  unconscious  cause  of  it. 
Oh,  may  I  learn  daily  my  hidden  evils,  and  loathe  myself 
for  my  secret  abominations  !  Prayed  for  the  man,  and 
found  my  affections  return. 

October  19. — I  wished  to  have  made  my  approaching 
ordination  to  the  ministry  a  more  leading  object  of  m)' 
prayers.  For  two  or  three  days  I  have  been  reading  some 
of  St.  Augustine's  Meditations,  and  was  delighted  with  the 
hope  of  enjoying  such  communion  with  God  as  this  holy 
man.  Blessed  be  God  !  nothing  prevents,  no  earthly  busi- 
ness, no  earthly  love  can  rightfully  intrude  to  claim  my 
thoughts,  for  I  have  professedly  resigned  them  all.  My 
mind  still  continues  in  a  joyous  and  happy  state,  though  at 
intervals,  through  want  of  humility,  my  confidence  seems 
vain. 

October  20. — This  morning  was  almost  all  lost,  by  friends 
coming  in.  At  noon  I  read  the  fortieth  chapter  of  Isaiah. 
Amidst  the  bustle  of  common  life,  how  frequently  has  my 
heart  been  refreshed  by  the  descriptions  of  the  future  glory 
of  the  Church,  and  the  happiness  of  man  hereafter  1 

November  13. — I  longed  to  draw  very  near  to  God,  to 
pray  Him  that  He  would  give  me  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and 
revelation.  I  thought  of  David  Brainerd,  and  ardently 
desired  his  devotedness  to  God  and  holy  breathings  of  soul. 

When  a  Fellow  of  St.  John's,  Henry  Martyn  occupied 
the  three  rooms  in  the  highest  storey  of  E  block,  entered 
from  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  Second  Court  before 
passing  through  the  gateway  into  the  Third  Court.  The 
Court  is  that  pronounced  by  Ruskin  the  finest  in  the 
University,  because  of  the  beautiful  plum-red  hue  of  the 
old  brick,  going  back  to  1 595,  and  the  perfect  architecture. 
From  the  same  stair  the  fine  College  Library  is  entered. 


34  HENRY  MARTYN 

The  low  roof  was  formed  of  reed,  instead  of  lath,  and 
plaster,  down  to  a  very  recent  date.  On  one  occasion, 
while  the  outer  roof  was  being  repaired,  the  foot  of  a 
workman  suddenly  pushed  through  the  frail  inner  ceiling 
above  the  study  table,  an  incident  which  has  enabled  their 
present  occupant^  to  identify  the  rooms.  Here  Martyn 
studied,  and  taught,  and  prayed,  while  hour  after  hour  and 
quarter  after  quarter,  from  the  spire  of  St.  Clement's  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  tower  of  Trinity  College  on  the  other,  the 
flight  of  time  was  chimed  forth.  When,  a  generation  after, 
Alexander  Duff  visited  Charles  Simeon  and  his  successor, 
Carus,  and  expressed  surprise  that  so  few  Cambridge  men 
had,  by  1836,  given  themselves  to  foreign  missions,  Carus 
pointed  to  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  Cam,  as  it  winds 
between  Trinity  and  St.  John's,  as  one  explanation  of  the 
fact.  Both  forgot  Henry  Martyn,  whose  Cornish  tempera- 
ment was  most  susceptible  to  the  seductive  influence,  and 
whose  academic  triumphs  might  have  made  the  ideal  life 
of  a  Fellow  of  St.  John's  an  overpowering  temptation. 
As  we  stand  ift  these  hallowed  rooms,  or  wander  through 
the  four  courts,  and  in  the  perfect  gardens,  or  recall  the 
low  chapel — which  has  given  place  to  Sir  Gilbert  Scott's, 
with  a  frescoed  figure  of  Henry  Martyn  on  its  roof — we 
can  realise  the  power  of  the  motive  that  sent  him  forth  to 
Dinapore  and  Cawnpore,  Shiraz  and  Tokat. 

Samuel  Pearce — the '  seraphic  '  preacher  of  Birmingham, 
whom  a  weak  body,  like  Martyn's,  alone  prevented  from 
joining  his  beloved  Carey  ^t  Serampore  ;  Vanderkemp,  the 
Dutch  physician,  who  had  given  up  all  for  the  good  of  the 
Kafirs,  and  whom  he  was  soon  to  see  in  the  midst  of  his 
converts  ;  David  Brainerd,  also  like  himself  in  the  shortness 

'  Rev.  A.  Cfildecott,  M.A.,  Fellow  and  Dean  of  St.  John's  College. 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  35 

and  saintliness  of  his  career ;  the  transactions  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society  ;  the  latest  works  on  the  East ; 
and  the  experimental  divinity  of  Augustine,  Jonathan 
Edwards,  and  Law,  with  the  writings  of  Bishops  Butler 
and  Hopkins,  and  Dr.  Paley — these  were  the  men  and 
the  books  he  used  to  train  his  spirit  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry  abroad,  when  he  had  fed  it  with  the  words  ot 
Jesus  Christ,  Isaiah,  and  Paul.  He  thus  describes  his 
examination  for  Deacon's  orders,  and  his  ordination  by  the 
Bishop  of  Ely  on  the  title  of  his  Fellowship,  after  which 
he  became  Mr.  Simeon's  curate,  and  took  charge  of  the 
neighbouring  small  parish  of  Lolworth. 

1803,  October  22. — Went  in  a  gig  to  Ely  with  B.  Having 
had  no  time  for  morning  prayer,  my  conversation  was  poor. 
At  chapel,  I  felt  great  shame  at  having  come  so  confidently 
to  offer  myself  for  the  ministry  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with 
so  much  ignorance  and  unholiness,  and  I  thought  it  would 
be  but  just  if  I  were  sent  off  with  ignominy.  Dr.  M., 
the  examining  chaplain,  set  me  to  construe  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  Matthew  :  Grotius  :  To  turn  the  first  article 
into  Latin  :  To  prove  the  being  of  a  God,  His  infinite 
power  and  goodness  :  To  give  the  evidence  of  Christianity 
to  Jews  and  heathens :  To  shew  the  importance  of  the 
miracle  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  He  asked  an  account, 
also,  of  the  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and  Scribes,  the  places  of 
the  worship  amongst  the  Jews,  &c.  After  leaving  the  palace 
I  was  in  very  low  spirits.  I  had  now  nothing  to  think  of 
but  the  weight  and  difficulty  of  the  work  which  lay  before  me, 
which  never  appeared  so  great  at  a  distance.  At  dinner  the 
conversation  was  frivolous.  After  tea  I  was  left  alone  with 
one  of  the  deacons,  to  whom  I  talked  seriously,  and  desired 
him  to  read  the  Ordination  Service,  at  which  he  was  much 
affected.  Retired  to  my  room  early,  and  besought  God  to 
give  me  a  right  and  affecting  sense  of  things.     I  seemed  to 


36  HENRY  MARTYN 

pray  a  long  time  in  vain,  so  dark  and  distracted  was  my 
mind.  At  length  I  began  to  feel  the  shameful  and  cruel 
neglect  and  unconcern  for  the  honour  of  God,  and  the  souls 
of  my  brethren,  in  having  trifled  with  men  whom  I  feared 
were  about  to  '  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost'  So  I  went  to  them 
again,  resolving  to  lay  hold  on  any  opportunity,  but  found 
none  to  do  anything  effectually.  Went  to  bed  with  a 
painful  sense  of  my  hardness  of  heart  and  unsuitable 
preparation  for  the  ministry. 

October  23. — Rose  early,  and  prayed,  not  without  distrac- 
tion. I  then  walked,  but  could  not  acquire  a  right  and 
happy  sense  of  God's  mercy  in  calling  me  to  the  ministry  ; 
but  was  melancholy  at  the  labours  that  awaited  me.  On 
returning,  I  met  one  of  the  deacons,  to  whom  I  spoke  on 
the  solemn  occasion,  but  he  seemed  incapable  of  entertain- 
ing a  serious  thought.  At  half-past  ten  we  went  to  the 
cathedral.  During  the  ordination  and  sacramental  services 
I  sought  in  vain  for  a  humble  heavenly  mind.  The  out- 
ward show  which  tended  to  inspire  solemnity,  affected  me 
more  than  the  faith  of  Christ's  presence,  giving  me  the 
commission  to  preach  the  gospel.  May  I  have  grace  to 
fulfil  those  promises  I  made  before  God  and  the  people! 
After  dinner,  walked  with  great  rapidity  to  Cambridge. 
I  went  straight  to  Trinity  Church,  where  my  old  vanities 
assailed  my  soul.  How  monstrous  and  horrible  did  they 
appear  in  me,  now  that  I  was  a  minister  of  holy  things  !  I 
could  scarcely  believe  that  so  sacred  an  office  should  be 
held  by  one  who  had  such  a  heart  within.  B.  sat  with 
me  in  the  evening,  but  I  was  not  humbled  ;  for  I  had  not 
been  near  to  God  to  obtain  the  grace  of  contrition. 
On  going  to  prayer  at  night,  I  was  seized  with  a  most 
violent  sickness.  In  the  pain  and  disorder  of  my  body, 
I  could  but  commend  myself  faintly  to  God's  mercy  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

October  24  to  29. — Busily  employed  in  writing  a  sermon, 
&nd  from  the  slow  advances  I  made  in  it,  was  in  general 


TRl.Nlli       LllLKl^ll      iS       lOU' 


CORNWALL  AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1 781-1803  39 

very  melancholy.  I  read  on  the  Thursday  night  for  thu 
first  time  in  Trinity  Church. 

October  30. — Rose  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  my  head 
empty,  from  having  read  so  little  of  the  Scriptures  this  last 

week.  After  church,  sat  with two  hours  conversingabout 

the  missionary  plan.  He  considered  my  ideas  on  the  subject 
to  be  enthusiastic,  and  told  me  that  I  had  neither  strength 
of  body  nor  mind  for  the  work.  This  latter  defect  I  did  not 
at  all  like ;  it  was  galling  to  the  pride  of  my  heart,  and  I 
went  to  bed  hurt ;  yet  thankful  to  God  for  sending  me  one 
who  would  tell  me  the  truth. 

December  3. — Employed  all  day  in  writing  sermon. 
The  incessant  employment  of  my  thoughts  about  the 
necessary  business  of  my  life,  parishes,  pupils,  sermons,  sick, 
&c.,  leave  far  too  little  time  for  my  private  meditations  ;  so 
that  I  know  little  of  God  and  my  soul.  Resolved  I  would 
gain  some  hours  from  my  usual  sleep,  if  there  were  no 
other  way  ;  but  failed  this  morning  in  consequence  of  sitting 
up  so  late. 

December  \. — Called  at  two  or  three  of  the  parishioners' 
houses,  and  found  them  universally  in  the  most  profound 
state  of  ignorance  and  stupidity.  On  my  road  home  could 
not  perceive  that  men  who  have  any  little  knowledge  should 
have  anything  to  do  but  instruct  their  wretched  fellow- 
creatures.  The  pursuits  of  science,  and  all  the  vain  and 
glittering  employments  of  men,  seemed  a  cruel  withholding 
from  their  perishing  brethren  of  that  time  and  exertion 
which  might  save  their  souls. 

December  22, —  Married .     How   satisfactory   is  it 

to  administer  the  ordinance  of  matrimony,  where  the 
couple  are  pious !  I  felt  thankful  that  I  was  delivered 
from  all  desires  of  the  comforts  of  the  married  life.  With 
the  most  desirable  partner,  and  every  prospect  of 
happiness,  I  would  prefer  a  single  life,  in  which  there 
are  so  much  greater  opportunities  for  heavenly-minded 
ness. 


40  HENRY  MARTYN 

When  appointed  classical  examiner  of  his  college  at 
this  time,  he  jealously  examined  himself : 

Did  I  delight  in  reading  of  the  retreat  of  the  ten 
t-housand  Greeks ;  and  shall  not  my  soul  glory  in  the 
knowledge  of  God,  who  created  the  Greeks,  and  the  vast 
countries  over  which  they  passed  !  I  examined  in  Butler's 
Analogy  and  in  Xenophon  :  how  much  pride  and  ostenta- 
tious display  of  learning  was  visible  in  my  conduct — how 
that  detestable  spirit  follows  me,  whatever  I  do  ! 

He  opened  the  year  1804,  after  preaching  in  Trinity 
Church,  and  visiting  two  men  whom  he  exhorted  to  think 
on  their  ways,  with  a  review  of  his  new-found  life. 

Nevertheless,  I  judge  that  I  have  grown  in  grace  in  the 
course  of  the  last  year  ;  for  the  bent  of  my  desires  is  towards 
God  more  than  when  I  thought  I  was  going  out  as  a 
missionary,  though  vastly  less  than  I  expected  it  would 
have  been  by  this  time. 

This  year  he  received  into  his  fellowship  the  young 
poet,  Henry  Kirke  White,  whom  Wilberforce  had,  at 
Simeon's  request,  sent  to  St.  John's.  Southey  declares 
that  Chatterton  is  the  only  youthful  poet  whom  Kirke 
White  does  not  leave  far  behind  him,  '  The  Star  of 
Bethlehem  '  is  certainly  a  hymn  that  will  live.  The  sickly 
youth  followed  close  in  Martyn's  steps,  becoming  the  first 
man  of  his  year,  but  the  effort  carried  him  off  almost 
before  his  friend  reached  India. 

Had  Martyn  been  of  canonical  age  for  ordination  at  the 
close  of  1803,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  he  would  at 
once  have  been  sent  out  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
which  could  find  only  German  Lutherans  as  its  agents 
abroad,  until  181 3,  when  another  Fellow  of  St.  John's,  and 
a  Wrangler,  the  Rev.  William  Jowett,  offered  his  services, 


CORNWALL   AND   CAMBRIDGE,    1781-1803  41 

and  was  stationed  at  Malta.  But  when  ordained  he  lost 
the  little  that  he  had  inherited  from  his  father,  and  saw 
his  younger  sister  also  without  resources.  There  was  a 
tradition  in  the  family  of  his  half-brother  John,  that  Henry 
and  his  sisters  litigated  with  him,  and  farther  lessened  the 
patrimony.  However  that  may  have  been,  while  in  India 
Henry  set  apart  the  proceeds  of  his  Fellowship  at  St.  John's 
for  the  maintenance  of  his  brother's  family,  and  bequeathed 
all  he  had  to  his  children.  Mr.  H.  Thornton,  of  Clapham, 
was  executor,  and  duly  carried  out  his  instructions,  starting 
the  nephews  in  life.  Another  incident  at  this  time  fore- 
shadows the  self-denial  of  his  Indian  career.  By  opening 
the  door  of  his  room  suddenly  he  had  disfigured  the  face 
of  his  Cambridge  landlady,  whose  husband  was  a  clergy- 
man. He  left  to  her  the  interest  of  1,000/.  as  an  amend, 
and  she  enjoyed  this  annuity  through  a  very  long  life. 

The  Senior  Wrangler  was  not  allowed  to  preach  in  the 
church  where  he  had  been  baptised,  nor  in  any  church  of 
his  native  county,  save  in  his  brother-in-law's.  On  August  8, 
1804,  he  thus  wrote  to  his  friend  '  R.  Boys,  Esq.,  Bene't  Coll, 
Cambridge,'  after  preaching  at  Plymouth  for  his  cousin  : 

The  following  Sunday  it  was  not  permitted  me  to  occupy 
the  pulpit  of  my  native  town,  but  in  a  neighbouring  church 
I  was  allowed  to  testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God. 
But  that  one  sermon  was  enough.  The  clergy  seem  to 
have  united  to  exclude  me  from  their  churches,  so  that  I 
must  now  be  contented  with  my  brother-in-law's  two  little 
churches  about  five  miles  from  Truro.  The  objection  is  that 
'  Mr.  Martyn  is  a  Calvinist  preacher  in  the  dissenting  way,  &c.' 
My  old  schoolmaster,  who  has  always  hitherto  been  proud 
of  his  pupil,  has  offered  his  services  for  any  time  to  a  curate 
near  this  place,  rather  than,  as  he  said,  he  should  apply  to 
me  for  assistance. 


42  HENRY  MARTYN 

It  is  interesting  to  remember,  remarks  Mr.  Moule,  who 
has  published  this  letter  for  the  first  time,  that  '  always 
now,  as  the  anniversary  of  Martyn's  death  recurs,  a  sermon 
is  preached  in  the  cathedral  of  Truro,  in  which  the  great 
work  of  Missions  is  set  forth,  and  his  illustrious  share  in  it 
commemorated.' 

As  confidential  adviser  of  Charles  Grant  in  the  Court 
of  Directors,  in  the  appointment  of  chaplains,  Simeon 
always  sought  to  attract  the  best  of  his  curates  to  that 
career,  and  it  would  appear  from  the  Journal  that  so  early 
as  the  beginning  of  1803  he  had  hinted  at  this  to  Martyn. 
Now  the  way  was  plain.  Martyn  could  no  longer  support 
himself  as  one  of  those  volunteer  missionaries  whose  services 
the  two  great  missionary  societies  of  the  Church  of  England 
have  always  been  happy  to  enjoy,  nor  could  he  relieve  his 
sister  out  of  the  subsistence  allowance  of  a  missionary.  Mr. 
Grant's  offer  of  a  Bengal  chaplaincy  seemed  to  come  to 
him  as  the  solution.  But  a  new  element  had  entered  into 
his  life,  second  only  to  his  spiritual  loyalty.  He  had  learned 
to  love  Lydia  Grenfell. 


CHAFER   II 

LYDIA   GRENFELL 

Twenty-six  miles  south-west  of  Truro  and  now  the  last 
railway  station  before  Penzance  is  reached  for  the  Land's 
End,  is  Marazion,  the  oldest,  the  warmest,  and  long  the 
dullest,  of  English  towns.  This  was  the  home  of  Lydia 
Grenfell ;  this  was  the  scene  of  Henry  Martyn's  wooing. 
Running  out  from  the  town  is  a  natural  causeway,  un- 
covered at  low  tide,  and  leading  to  the  most  romantic  spot 
on  a  romantic  coast — the  granite  rock  known  to  the  Greek 
geographers  as  Ictis,  and  to  English  legend  and  history  as 
St.  Michael's  Mount.  Here  it  was  that  Jack  slew  the  giant, 
Cormoran  ;  here  that  the  Phcenician,  and  possibly  Israelite, 
traffickers  found  the  harbour,  and  in  the  town  the  market, 
where  they  bought  their  copper  and  their  tin  ;  here  that 
St.  Michael  appeared,  as  on  the  larger  rock  off  Normand}', 
to  the  earliest  Christian  hermits,  followed  by  the  Benedic- 
tines ;  and  here  that  King  John  made  a  fortress  which  both 
sides  in  the  Great  Rebellion  held  and  took  alternately. 
Since  that  time,  possessed  by  the  St.  Aubyn  family,  and 
open  to  all  the  world,  St.  Michael's  Mount  has  been  a 
unique  retreat  in  which  castle  and  chapel,  cemetery  and 
garden,  unite  peacefully,  to  link  the  restlessness  of  the 
nineteenth  century  with  the  hermit  saintliness  and  angel- 
ophanies  of  the  fifth.      It  was  the  last  spot  of  English,  of 


44  HENRY  MARTYN 

Cornish,  ground  seen  by  Henry  Martyn,  and  he  knew  that 
the  windows  of  his  beloved  looked  upon  its  grassy  castel- 
lated height. 

In  the  one  ascending  street  of  Marazion  on  the  shore, 
there  still  stands  the  plain  substantial  Grenfell  House,  now 
boarded  up  and  falling  to  ruin  for  want  of  the  freehold 
tenure.  Opposite  it  is  the  parish  church,  now  on  the  site 
of  the  old  chapel  of  ease  of  the  neighbouring  St.  Hilary, 
which  Lydia  Grenfell  deserted  for  the  then  warmer  evan- 
gelical service  of  the  little  Wesleyan  chapel.  That  is 
hidden  in  a  lane,  and  is  still  the  same  as  when  she  wor- 
shipped there,  or  only  a  little  enlarged.  The  Grenvilles, 
Grenviles,  or  Grenfells,  were  long  a  leading  family  connected 
with  Cornwall  as  copper-buyers  and  smelters.  One,  Pascoe 
Grenfell,  was  a  Governor  of  the  Bank  of  England.  Mr. 
Pascoe  Grenfell,  of  Marazion  (i 729-1810),  Commissary  to 
the  States  of  Holland,  was  father  (i)  of  Emma,  who  became 
wife  of  Martyn's  cousin,  Rev.  T.  Martyn  Hitchins  ;  (2)  of 
Lydia  Grenfell  ;  and  (3)  of  Pascoe  Grenfell,  D.C.L.,  M.P. 
for  Marlow  and  Pcnryn.  This  Pascoe's  four  daughters— 
Lydia  Grenfell's  nieces — each  became  the  wife  of  a  remark- 
able man.  The  eldest,  in  1825,  married  Mr.  Carr  Glyn,  M.P. 
for  Kendal,  and  the  first  Lord  Wolverton  ;  the  second.  Lord 
Sidney  Godolphin  Osborne  ;  the  third,  Mr.  James  Anthony 
Froude  ;  and  the  fourth,  Charles  Kingsley. 

Lydia  Grenfell,  born  in  1775,  died  in  her  sister's  house, 
the  old  Vicarage  of  Breage,  in  1829.  She  was  thus  six 
years  older  than  Henry  Martyn.  As  the  sister  of  his 
cousin  by  marriage  he  must  have  known  of  her  early.  He 
evidently  did  not  know,  till  it  was  too  late,  that  she  had 
been  engaged  to  a  Mr.  Samuel  John,  solicitor,  of  Pen- 
zance, who  was  unworth}'  of  her  and  married  someone  else. 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  47 

This  engagement  and  its  issue  seem  to  have  weighed  on 
her  very  sensitive  conscience  ;  it  became  to  her  very  much 
what  Henry  Martyn's  hopeless  love  for  her  proved  to  be  to 
himself.  In  the  years  from  October  19,  1801,  to  1826,  she 
kept  a  diary  not  less  devout,  but  far  more  morbid  than 
his  own.  The  two  journals  form,  where  they  meet,  a 
pathetic,  even  tragic,  tale  of  affection,  human  and  divine. 
Her  bulky  memoranda '  contain  few  incidents  of  interest, 
rather  severe  introspections,  incessant  communings  and 
heart-searchings,  abstracts  of  sermons,  records  of  visits  to 
the  sick  and  poor,  but  also  a  valuable  residuum  by  which 
her  relations  with  Martyn  can  be  established  beyond  con- 
troversy. They  show  that  she  was  as  saintly  as  himself 
She  weighed  every  thought,  every  action,  as  in  the  imme- 
diate presence  of  God. 

When  Henry  Martyn,  at  nineteen,  entered  on  the 
higher  life,  he  must  have  known  Lydia  Grenfell  as  the 
sister  of  Mrs.  T.  M.  Hitchins,  the  cousin  with  whom  his 
correspondence  shows  him  to  have  been  on  most  intimate, 
and  even  affectionate,  terms.  At  that  time  the  difference 
of  age  would  seem  slight ;  her  it  would  affect  little,  if  at  all, 
while  common  experience  suggests  that  it  would  be  even 
attractive  to  him.  With  the  ardour  of  a  young  disciple — 
which  in  his  case  grew,  year  by  year,  till  he  passed  away — 
he  sought  spiritual  counsel  and  communion.  On  his  visits 
to  Cornwall  he  found  both  in  his  younger  sister,  but  it  is 
evident  that,  from  the  first,  the  riper  spiritual  life  of  Lydia 
Grenfell  attracted  him  to  her.  His  triumph,  at  twenty,  as 
Senior  Wrangler  put  him  quite  in  a  position  to  dream  of 
winning  her.     His  unexpected  poverty  was  relieved  by  his 

'  Deposited  by  Henry  Martyn  Jeffery,  Esq.,  in  the  Truro  Museum  of  the 
Royal  Institution,  where  the  MS,  may  be  consulted. 


V 


48  HENRY  MARTYN 

Fellowship  of  St.  John's.  In  those  days,  however,  that 
would  have  ceased  with  marriage.  When  it  became 
more  than  probable  that  he  would  receive  an  appointment 
to  Bengal,  througn  Mr.  Charles  Grant—  either  as  minister 
of  the  Mission  Church  founded  by  Kiernander,  or  as  a 
chaplain  of  the  East  India  Company — he  was  face  to 
face  with  the  question  of  marrying. 

In  these  days  the  course  followed  by  missionary 
societies  as  the  result  of  experience  is  certainly  the  best. 
A  missionary  and  a  chaplain  in  India  should,  in  ordinary 
circumstances,  be  married,  but  it  is  not  desirable  that  the 
marriage  take  place  for  a  year  or  longer,  until  the  young 
minister  has  proved  the  climate,  and  has  learned  the  native 
language,  when  the  lady  can  be  sent  out  to  be  united  to 
him.  At  the  beginning  of  the  modern  missionary  enter- 
prise, a  century  ago,  it  was  difficult  to  find  spiritual  men 
willing  to  go  to  India  on  any  terms,  and  they  did  well  in 
every  case  to  go  out  married.  All  the  conditions  of  time, 
distance,  society,  and  Christian  influence  were  then  different. 
If  the  missionary's  or  chaplain's  wife  is  worthy  of  his  call- 
ing, she  doubles  his  usefulness,  notwithstanding  the  cares 
and  the  expense  of  children  in  many  cases,  alike  by  keep- 
ing her  husband  in  a  state  of  efficiency  on  every  side,  by 
her  own  works  of  charity  and  self-sacrifice — especially 
among  the  women,  who  can  be  reached  in  no  other  way — 
and  by  helping  to  present  to  the  idolatrous  or  Mussulman 
community  the  powerful  example  of  a  Christian  home. 
Henry  Martyn's  principles  and  instincts  were  right  in  this 
matter.  As  a  chaplain,  at  any  rate,  he  was  in  a  position 
to  marry  at  once.  As  India  or  Bengal  then  was,  Lydia, 
had  she  gone  out  with  him,  or  soon  after  him,  would  have 
proved  to  be  a  much  needed  force  in  Anglo-Indian  society, 


LYDIA   GRENFELL  49 

an  influence  on  the  native  communities  whom  he  sought 
to  bring  to  Christ.  Above  all,  as  a  man  born  with  a 
weak  body,  with  habits  of  incessant  and  intense  application 
to  study  and  to  dut}',  Henry  Martyn  required  one  with  the 
influence  of  a  wife  to  keep  him  in  life  and  to  prolong  his 
Indian  service.  It  was  the  greatest  calamity  of  his  whole 
career  that  Lydia  did  not  accompany  him.  But,  since  he 
learned  to  love  her  with  all  the  rich  devotion  of  his  passion- 
ate nature,  we  cannot  consider  it  'a  bitter  misfortune,'  as 
some  do,  that  he  ever  knew  her.  His  love  for  Lydia,  in 
the  fluctuations  of  its  hope,  in  the  ebb  and  flow  of  its 
tenderness,  and  in  the  transmutation  of  its  despair  into 
faith  and  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  worked  out  a 
higher  elevation  for  himself,  and  gives  to  his  Journals  and 
Letters  2i  pure  human  interest  which  places  them  above  the 
Confessions  of  St.  A  ugnstine. 

The  first  allusion  to  the  possibility  of  marriage  we  find 
in  h.\s  fotirnal  o{  January  23,  1803,  and  again  in  June  12 
of  the  same  year  : 

I  was  grieved  to  find  that  all  the  exertions  of  prayer 
were  necessary  against  worldly-mindedness,  so  soon  had 
the  prospect  of  the  means  of  competent  support  in  India 
filled  my  heart  with  concern  about  earthly  happiness, 
marriage,  &c.  ;  but  I  strove  earnestly  against  them,  and 
prayed  for  grace  that,  if  it  should  please  God  to  try  my 
faith  by  calling  me  to  a  post  of  opulence,  I  might  not  dare 
to  use  for  myself  what  is  truly  His  ;  as  also,  that  I  might 
be  enabled  to  keep  myself  single,  for  serving  Him  more 
effectually.  Nevertheless,  this  change  in  my  circumstances 
so  troubled  me,  that  I  could  have  been  infinitely  better 
pleased  to  have  gone  out  as  a  missionary,  poor  as  the  Lord 
and  His  Apostles. 


so  HENRY  MARTYN 

His  friend  Sargent's  *  approaching  marriage  with  a  lady 
of  uncommon  excellence  rather  excited  in  me  a  desire 
after  a  similar  state ;  but  I  strove  against  it,'  he  wrote  on 
July  lo.  Next  day,  on  the  top  of  the  coach  from  London 
to  Bath,  in  the  cold  of  a  high  wind,  he  was  '  most  dread- 
fully assailed  by  evil  thoughts,  but  at  the  very  height 
prayer  prevailed,  and  I  was  delivered,  and  during  the  rest 
of  the  journey  enjoyed  great  peace  and  a  strong  desire  to 
live  for  Christ  alone,  forsaking  the  pleasures  of  the  world, 
marriage,  &c.'  At  Plymouth  he  spent  two  days  '  with  my 
dear  cousin  T.  H.,'  Lydia's  sister.  After  Truro,  Kenwyn, 
and  Lamorran,  near  Truro,  of  which  his  sister  Sarah's  hus- 
band was  vicar,  he  rode  to  St  Hilary. 

1804,  July  29.  (Sunday.)— Read  and  prayed  in  the 
morning  before  service  with  seriousness,  striving  against 
those  thoughts  which  oppressed  me  all  the  rest  of  the  day. 
At  St.  Hilary  Church  in  the  morning  my  thoughts  wan- 
dered from  the  service,  and  I  suffered  the  keenest  dis- 
appointment Miss  L.  G.  did  not  come.  Yet,  in  great 
pain,  I  blessed  God  for  having  kept  her  away,  as  she  might 
have  been  a  snare  to  me.  These  things  would  be  almost 
incredible  to  another,  and  almost  to  myself,  were  I  not 
taught  by  daily  experience  that,  whatever  the  world  may 
say,  or  I  may  think  of  myself,  I  am  a  poor,  wretched, 
sinful,  contemptible  worm. 

Called  after  tea  on  Miss  L.  G.,  and  walked  with  her 

and ,  conversing  on  spiritual  subjects.     All  the  rest  of 

the  evening,  and  at  night,  I  could  not  keep  her  out  of  my 
mind.  I  felt  too  plainly  that  1  loved  her  passionately. 
The  direct  opposition  of  this  to  my  devotedness  to  God  in 
the  missionary  way,  excited  no  small  tumult  in  my  mind. 
In  conversation,  having  no  divine  sweetness  in  peace,  my 
cheerfulness  was  affected,  and,  consequently,  very  hurtful 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  $1 

to  my  conscience.  At  night  I  continued  an  hour  and  a 
half  in  prayer,  striving  against  this  attachment.  I  en- 
deavoured to  analyse  it,  that  I  might  see  how  base,  and 
mean,  and  worthless  such  a  love  to  a  speck  of  earth  was, 
compared  with  divine  love.  Then  I  read  the  most  solemn 
parts  of  Scripture,  to  realise  to  myself  death  and  eternity ; 
and  these  attempts  were  sometimes  blest.  One  while  I 
was  about  to  triumph,  but  in  a  moment  my  heart  had 
wandered  to  the  beloved  idol.  I  went  to  bed  in  great 
pain,  yet  still  rather  superior  to  the  evening;  but  in  dreams 
her  image  returned,  and  I  awoke  in  the  night  with  my 
mind  full  of  her.  No  one  can  say  how  deeply  this  unhappy 
affection  has  fixed  itself;  since  it  has  nothing  selfish  in  it, 
that  I  can  perceive,  but  is  founded  on  the  highest  admira- 
tion of  her  piety  and  manners. 

July  30. — Rose  in  great  peace.  God,  by  secret  influence, 
seemed  to  have  caused  the  tempest  of  self-will  to  subside. 
Rode  away  from  St.  Hilary  to  Gwennap  in  peace  of  mind, 
and  meditated  most  of  the  way  on  Romans  viii.  I  again 
devoted  myself  to  the  Lord,  and  with  more  of  my  will 
than  last  night.  I  was  much  disposed  to  think  of  subjects 
entirely  placed  be}'ond  the  world,  and  had  strong  desires, 
though  with  heavy  opposition  from  my  corrupt  nature, 
after  that  entire  deadness  to  the  world  which  David 
Brainerd  manifested.  At  night  I  found  myself  to  have 
backslidden  a  long  way  from  the  life  of  godliness,  to  have 
declined  very  much  since  my  coming  into  Cornwall,  but 
especially  since  I  went  to  St.  Hilary.  Sat  up  late,  and  read 
the  last  chapter  and  other  parts  of  Revelation,  and  was 
deeply  affected.     Prayed  with  more  success  than  lately. 

July  31. — Read  and  prayed  this  morning  with  increasing 
victory'  over  my  self-will.  Romans  vii.  was  particularly 
suitable ;  it  was  agreeable  to  me  to  speak  to  God  of  my 
own  corruption  and  helplessness  Walked  in  the  afternoon 
to  Redruth,  after  having  prayed  over  the  Epistle  to  the 

E  3 


52  HENRY  MARTYN 

Ephesians  with  much  seriousness.  On  the  road  I  was 
enabled  to  triumph  at  last,  and  found  my  heart  as  pleased 
with  the  prospect  of  a  single  life  in  missionary  labours  as 
ever.  '  What  is  the  exceeding  greatness  of  His  power  to 
usward  who  believe  ! ' 

After  preaching  to  crowds  in  his  brother-in-law's  church 
at  Kenwyn  and  Lamorran,  on  the  two  subsequent  Sundays, 
he  walked  to  St.  Hilary  : 

1804,  Atigust  26. — Rose  early,  and  walked  out,  invited 
by  the  beauty  of  the  morning.  Many  different  pleasing 
thoughts  crowded  on  my  mind,  as  I  viewed  the  sea  and 
rocks,  Mount  and  bay,  and  thought  of  the  person  who 
lived  near  it ;  but,  for  want  of  checking  my  natural  spirits, 
and  fixing  on  one  subject  of  thought,  I  was  not  much 
benefited  by  my  meditations.  Walked  in  the  evening 
with  Mrs.  G.  and  Lydia  up  the  hill,  with  the  most  beautiful 
prospect  of  the  sea,  &c.  ;  but  I  was  unhappy,  from  feeling 
the  attachment  to  Lydia,  for  I  was  unwilling  to  leave  her. 

Aiigust  27. — Walked  to  Marazion,  with  my  heart  more 
delivered  from  its  idolatry,  and  enabled  to  look  steadily 
and  peacefully  to  God.  Reading  in  the  afternoon  to  Lydia 
alone,  from  Dr.  Watts,  there  happened  to  be,  among  other 
things,  a  prayer  on  entire  preference  of  God  to  the  creature. 
Now,  thought  I,  here  am  I  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  my 
idol.  So  I  used  the  prayer  for  myself,  and  addressed  it  to 
God,  w^ho  answered  it,  I  think,  for  my  love  was  kindled 
to  God  and  divine  things,  and  I  felt  cheerfully  resigned  to 
the  will  of  God,  to  forego  the  earthly  joy  which  I  had  just 
been  desiring  with  my  whole  heart.  I  continued  conversing 
with  her,  generally  with  my  heart  in  heaven,  but  every  now 
and  then  resting  on  her.  Parted  with  Lydia,  perhaps  for 
ever  in  this  life,  with  a  sort  of  uncertain  pain,  which  I  knew 
would  increase  to  greater  violence  afterwards,  on  reflection. 
Walked  to  St.  Hilary,  determining,  in   great  tumult  and 


LYDTA    GRENFELL  53 

inward  pain,  to  be  the  servant  of  God.  All  the  rest  of  the 
evening,  in  company  or  alone,  I  could  think  of  nothing 
but  her  excellences.  My  efforts  were,  however,  through 
mercy,  not  in  vain,  to  feel  the  vanity  of  this  attachment  to 
the  creature.  Read  in  Thomas  a  Kempis  many  chapters 
directly  to  the  purpose  ;  the  shortness  of  time,  the  awful- 
ness  of  death  and  its  consequences,  rather  settled  my  mind 
to  prayer.  I  devoted  myself  unreservedly  to  the  service 
of  the  Lord,  to  Him,  as  to  one  who  knew  the  great  conflict 
within,  and  my  firm  resolve,  through  His  grace,  of  being 
His,  though  it  should  be  with  much  tribulation. 

August  28. — Rose  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  took  leave 
of  St.  Hilary,  where  all  the  happier  hours  of  my  early  life 

were  passed.     and accompanied  me  in  the  chaise 

a  few  miles  ;  but  the  moment  they  left  me  I  walked  on, 
dwelling  at  large  on  the  excellence  of  Lydia.  I  had  a  few 
faint  struggles  to  forget  her,  and  delight  in  God,  but  they 
were  ineffectual.  Among  the  many  motives  to  the  subjec- 
tion of  self-will,  I  found  the  thought  of  the  entire  un- 
worthiness  of  a  soul  escaped  from  hell  to  choose  its  own 
will  before  God's,  most  bring  my  soul  to  a  right  frame. 
So  that,  while  I  saw  the  necessity  of  resigning,  for  the 
service  of  God,  all  those  joys,  for  the  loss  of  which  I  could 
not  perceive  how  anything  in  heaven  or  earth  could  be  a 
compensation,  I  said.  Amen  ! 

August  29.  —  I  walked  to  Truro,  with  my  mind  almost 
all  the  way  taken  up  with  Lydia.  But  once  reasoning  in 
this  way — If  God  made  me,  and  wills  my  happiness,  as  I  do 
not  doubt,  then  He  is  providing  for  my  good  by  separating 
me  from  her  ;  this  reasoning  convinced  my  mind.  I  felt 
very  solemnly  and  sweetly  the  excellence  of  serving  God 
faithfully,  of  following  Christ  and  His  Apostles,  and  medi- 
tated with  great  joy  on  the  approach  of  the  end  of  this 
world.  Yet  still  I  enjoyed,  every  now  and  then,  the 
thought  of  walking  hereafter  with  her,  in  the  realms  of 
glory,  conversing  on  the  things  of  God.     My  mind   the 


54  HENRY  MARTYN 

rest  of  the  evening  was  much  depressed.  I  had  no  desire 
to  live  in  this  world  ;  scarcely  could  I  say  where  I  would 
be,  or  what  I  would  do,  now  that  my  self-will  was  so 
strongly  counteracted.  Thus  God  waits  patiently  my  re- 
turn from  my  backsliding,  which  I  would  do  immediately. 
If  He  were  to  offer  me  the  utmost  of  my  wishes,  I  would 
say,  '  Not  so.  Lord  !     Not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done.' 

August  y:). — Passed  the  morning  rather  idly,  in  reading 
lives  of  pious  women.  I  felt  an  indescribable  mixture  of 
opposing  emotions.  At  one  time,  about  to  ascend  with 
delight  to  God,  who  had  permitted  me  to  aspire  after  the 
same  glory,  but  oftener  called  down  to  earth  by  my  earthly 
good.  Major  Sandys  calling,  continued  till  dinner  con- 
versing about  India.  I  consented  to  stay  a  day  with  him 
at  Helston,  but  the  thought  of  being  so  near  Marazion 
renewed  my  pain,  especially  taken  in  connection  with  my 
going  thither  on  the  subject  of  my  departure.  After  dinner, 
walked  in  the  garden  for  two  hours,  reasoning  with  my 
perverse  heart,  and,  through  God's  mercy,  not  without 
success.  You  preach  up  deadness  to  the  world,  and  yet 
not  an  example  of  it !  Now  is  the  time,  my  soul,  if  you 
cannot  feel  that  it  is  best  to  bear  the  cross,  to  trust  God 
for  it.  This  will  be  true  faith.  If  I  were  put  in  possession 
of  my  idol,  I  should  immediately  say  and  feel  that  God 
alone  was,  notwithstanding,  the  only  good,  and  to  Him  I 
should  seek  immediately.  Again  I  weighed  the  probable 
temporal  consequence  of  having  my  own  will  gratified  ; 
the  dreadful  pain  of  separation  by  death,  after  being  united, 
together  with  the  distress  I  might  bring  upon  her  whom  I 
loved.  All  these  things  were  of  small  influence  till  I  read 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  by  which  my  mind,  made  to 
consider  divine  things  attentively,  was  much  more  freed 
from  earthly  things.  '  Let  us  come  boldly  to  the  throne 
of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace  to  help 
in  time  of  need,'  was  very  precious  and  comforting  to  me 
I   have  found  grace  to  help  in  this  time  of  need  ;  I  still 


LYDIA   G  REN  FELL  55 

want  a  humble  spirit  to  wait  upon  the  Lord.  I  almost 
called  God  to  witness  that  I  duly  resigned  my  pleasure  to 
His,  as  if  I  wished  it  to  be  remembered.  In  the  evening 
had  a  serious  and  solemn  time  in  prayer,  chiefly  for  the 
influences  of  the  Spirit,  and  rose  with  my  thoughts  fixed 
on  eternity ;  I  longed  for  death,  and  called  on  the  glorious 
day  to  hasten  ;  but  it  was  in  order  to  be  free  from  the 
troubles  of  this  world. 

August  31. — Passed  the  morning  partly  in  reading  and 
writing,  but  chiefly  in  business.  Rode  to  Rosemundy, 
with  my  mind  at  first  very  unhappy,  at  the  necessity  of 
mortifying  my  self-will,  in  the  same  particulars  as  for  some 
days.  In  conversing  on  the  subject  of  India  with  Major 
Sandys,  I  could  not  help  communicating  the  pain  I  felt  at 
parting  with  the  person  to  whom  I  was  attached  ;  but  by 
thus  dwelling  on  the  subject  my  heart  was  far  more  dis- 
tressed than  ever.  Found  my  mind  more  easy  and  sub- 
missive to  God  at  night  in  prayer. 

St.  Hilary  Church,  in  which  Henry  Martyn  preached, 
is  one  of  the  oldest  in  England,  containing,  in  the  tower 
of  Edward  III.'s  reign,  two  stones  with  inscriptions  of  the 
time  of  the  Emperor  Flavius  Constantinus,  who  was  killed 
by  Honorius  in  411.  What  Lydia  Grenfell  thought  of 
Martyn's  sermon  on  that  day,  August  26,  thenceforth 
memorable  to  both,  we  find  in  her  Diary  of  that  date  : 

1804,  August  26. — Heard  H.  M.  on  'Now  then  we  are 
ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech  you 
by  us  :  we  pray  you,  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to 
God.  For  He  hath  made  Him  to  be  sin  {i.e.  sin-offering) 
for  us.  Who  knew  no  sin  ;  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Him.'  Exordium  on  the  honour- 
able  employment  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  In  the  text 
two  things  were  implied.  First,  we  were  at  enmity  with 
God.     Second,  we  were  unable  to  restore  ourselves  to  His 


56  HENRY  MARTYN 

favour.  There  were  two  things  expressed  in  the  text— 
the  means  of  reconciliation,  and  God's  invitation  to  be 
reconciled  ;  a  threefold  address  to  saints,  backsliders,  and 
sinners  ;  and  a  farewell  address.  A  precious  sermon. 
Lord,  bless  the  preacher,  and  those  that  heard  him ! 

At  that  time,  in  1804,  the  lady  was  still  preoccupied, 
in  conscience  or  heart,  or  both,  by  her  imaginary  ties  to 
Mr.  S.  John.  But  six  months  before  that  she  had  heard  of 
his  approaching  marriage,  though,  in  fact,  that  did  not  take 
place  till  1 8 10.  All  that  time,  if  she  did  not  feel,  to  one 
to  whom  her  heart  had  been  more  closely  united  than  to 
any  '  earthly  object,'  as  she  had  written  in  her  Diary,  what 
Mr.  H.  M.  Jeffery  describes  as  the  attachment  of  a  widow 
with  the  responsibility  of  a  wife,  her  scrupulous  introspec- 
tive habit  was  an  obstacle  to  a  healthy  attachment.  The 
preacher,  younger  than  herself,  was  in  1804  evidently  to 
her  only  an  interesting  and  gracious  second  cousin,  or 
perhaps  a  little  more. 

On  his  way  back  to  London  Henry  Martyn  again 
visited  Plymouth,  where  he  learned  from  his  cousin  '  that 
my  attachment  to  her  sister  was  not  altogether  unreturned, 
and  the  discovery  gave  me  both  pleasure  and  pain.'  He 
left  them,  his  thoughts  '  almost  wholly  occupied  with 
Lydia.'  London,  Cambridge,  his  reading  and  his  walking, 
his  work  and  even  his  sleep,  bring  him  no  rest  from  the 
absorbing  passion.  His  Journal  is  full  of  it,  almost  every 
day.  Fortescue's  poems  recall  the  happy  mornings  at  St. 
Hilary,  but  his  pensive  meditation  subsided  into  a  more 
profitable  one  on  the  vanity  of  the  world  :  '  they  many  and 
are  given  in  marriage,'  and  at  the  end  of  a  few  years  what 
are  they  more  than  myself? — looldng  forward  to  the  same 
dissolution,  and  expecting  their  real  happiness  in  another 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  57 

life.     '  The  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away,'     Amen. 
'Let  me  do  the  will  of  God  while  I  am  in  it.' 

The  first  day  of  the  year  1805  led  him  to  review  the 
past  five  years,  and  to  renew  his  self-dedication  to  God  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  to  be  His  servant  for  ever. 
The  time  for  his  departure  to  India  was  at  hand,  and  his 
last  act,  on  leaving  London  for  Cambridge,  to  complete  his 
arrangements  for  sailing,  was  deliberately  to  engage  him- 
self to  Lydia  Grenfell  in  the  following  letter  to  her  sister.' 
It  is  thus  referred  to  in  h.\5  Journal: 

I  was  in  some  doubt  whether  I  should  send  the  letter 
to  Emma,  as  it  was  taking  a  very  important  step,  and  I 
could  scarcely  foresee  all  the  consequences.  However,  I 
did  send  it,  and  may  now  be  said  to  have  engaged  myself 
to  Lydia. 

18  Brunswick  Square  (London),  January  11,  1805. 

My  dear  Mrs.  Hitchins, — How  unaccountable  must  my 
long  silence  appear  to  you  after  the  conversation  that 
passed  between  us  in  the  carriage !  You  may  well  wonder 
that  I  could  forbear,  for  three  whole  months,  to  inquire 
about  the  '  beloved  Persis.'  Indeed,  I  am  surprised  at  my 
own  patience,  but,  in  truth,  I  found  it  impossible  to  dis- 
cover what  it  is  which  I  wish  or  ought  to  say  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  therefore  determined  to  defer  writing  till  I  could 
inform  you  with  certainty  of  my  future  destination.  But 
I  have  it  not  yet  in  my  power  to  do  this,  for  no  actual 
appointment  has  been  made  for  me  yet.  I  came  to  town 
the  beginning  of  this  week  to  inquire  into  the  present 
state  of  the  business,  and  learned  from  Mr.  Grant  that 
the  situation  he  intended  to  procure,  and  to  which  he  had 

'  Hitherto  unpublished.  We  owe  the  copy  of  this  significant  letter  to  the 
courtesy  of  H.  M.  Jeffery,  Esq. ,  F.  R.S.,  for  whom  Canon  Moor,  of  St.  Clement's, 
near  Truro,  procured  it  from  the  friend  to  whom  Mrs.  T.  M.  Hitchins  had 
given  it. 


58  HENRY  MARTYN 

no  doubt  of  getting  me  nominated,  was  not  in  the  Army, 
but  at  Fort  William,  near  Calcutta.  Thus  it  pleases  God 
to  suspend  the  declaration  of  His  mind,  and  I  can  believe 
that  He  acts  wisely.  These  apparent  delays  serve  to  check 
my  youthful  impetuosity,  and  teach  me  to  look  up  to  God, 
and  wait  for  Him.  If  the  chaplaincy  at  Fort  William 
should  be  given  me,  it  would  seem  to  be  His  design  not  to 
call  me  to  the  peculiar  work  of  a  missionary,  but  to  fix  my 
station  among  the  English.  At  present  my  own  inclination 
remains  almost  unbiassed,  as  to  the  particular  employment 
or  place  God  shall  assign  me,  whether  to  pass  my  days 
among  the  natives,  or  the  more  polished  inhabitants  of 
Calcutta,  or  even  to  remain  at  home. 

But  you  will  easily  conceive  that  the  increasing  pro- 
bability of  my  being  settled  in  a  town  rather  tends  to 
revive  the  thoughts  of  marriage,  for  I  feel  very  little  doubt 
in  my  own  mind,  that  in  such  a  situation  it  would  be  ex- 
pedient for  me  on  the  whole  to  marry,  if  other  circumstances 
permitted  it.  It  is  also  as  clear  that  I  ought  not  to  make 
an  engagement  with  any  one  in  England,  till  I  have  ascer- 
tained by  actual  observation  in  India,  what  state  of  life 
and  mode  of  proceeding  would  be  most  conducive  to  the 
ends  of  my  mission.  But  why  do  I  mention  these  diffi- 
culties? If  they  were  removed,  others  would  remain  still 
more  insurmountable.  The  affections  of  the  beloved  object 
in  question  must  still  be  engaged  in  my  favour,  or  even 
then  she  would  not  agree  to  leave  the  kingdom,  nor  would 
any  of  you  agree  to  it,  nor  would  such  a  change  of  climate, 
it  may  be  thought,  suit  the  delicacy  of  her  constitution. 

Must  I,  then,  yield  to  the  force  of  these  arguments,  and 
resoK^e  to  think  of  her  no  more  ?  It  shall  certainly  be  my 
endeavour,  by  the  help  of  my  God,  to  do  it,  if  need  be  ;  but 
I  confess  I  am  very  unwilling  to  go  away  and  hear  of  her 
only  accidentally  through  the  medium  of  others.  It  is 
this  painful  reflection  that  has  prompted  a  wish,  which  I 
do  not  mention  without  some  hesitation,  and  that  is  my 


LVD/A   GRENFELL  59 

wish  of  corresponding  with  her.  It  is  possible  you  may 
instantly  perceive  some  impropriety  in  it  which  escapes 
my  notice,  and  indeed  there  are  some  objections  which  I 
foresee  might  be  made,  but  instead  of  anticipating  them,  I 
will  leave  you  to  form  your  own  opinion.  In  religion  we 
have  a  subject  to  write  upon  of  equal  interest  to  us  both, 
and  though  I  cannot  expect  she  would  derive  any  advan- 
tage from  my  letters,  it  is  certain  I  should  receive  no  small 
benefit  from  hers.  But  I  leave  it  with  yourself;  if  you 
disapprove  of  the  measure,  let  the  request  be  forgotten.  It 
will  be  best  for  her  never  to  know  I  had  made  it,  or  if  she 
does,  she  will,  I  hope,  pardon  a, liberty  to  which  I  have 
been  drawn  only  by  the  love  of  her  excellence. 

N.B. — I  remember  Leighton  ;  take  care  not  to  forget  it 
nor  the  desired  MS. 

On  June  i  he  wrote  in  his  Journal: 

My  departure  from  my  friends,  and  my  deprivation  of 
the  sweetest  delight  in  society,  for  ever  in  this  life,  have 
rather  dejected  me  to-day.  Ah !  Nature,  thou  hast  still 
tears  to  shed  for  thyself!  ...  I  seem  to  be  hankering  after 
something  or  other  in  this  world,  though  I  am  sure  I  could 
not  say  there  is  anything  which  I  believed  could  give  me 
happiness.  No !  it  is  in  God  above.  Yet  to-night  I  have 
been  thinking  much  of  Lydia.  Memory  has  been  at  work 
to  unnerve  my  soul,  but  reason,  and  honour,  and  love  to 
Christ  and  to  souls,  shall  prevail.     Amen.     God  help  me ! 

Two  days  after,  at  the  Eclectic  Society,  after  a  discussion 
on  the  symptoms  of 'the  state  of  the  nation,'  the  subject  of 
marriage,  somehow  or  other,  came  to  be  mentioned. 

Mr.  Cecil  spoke  very  freely  and  strongly  on  the  subject. 
He  said  I  should  be  acting  like  a  madman  if  I  went  out 
unmarried.  A  wife  would  supply  by  her  comfort  and 
counsel  the  entire  want  of  society,  and  also  be  a  preservative 


6o  HENRY  MARTYN 

bith  to  character  and  passions  amidst  such  scenes.  I  feU 
as  cold  as  an  anchorite  on  the  subject  as  to  my  own  feehn^s^s, 
but  1  was  much  perplexed  all  the  rest  of  the  evening  about 
it.  I  clearly  perceived  that  my  own  inclination  upon  the 
whole  was  not  to  marriage.  The  fear  of  being  involved  in 
worldly  cares  and  numberless  troubles,  which  I  do  not  now 
foresee,  makes  me  tremble  and  dislike  the  thoughts  of  such 
connection.  When  I  think  of  Rrainerd,  how  he  lived 
among  the  Indians,  travelling  freely  from  place  to  place, 
can  I  conceive  he  would  have  been  so  useful  had  he  been 
married  ?  I  remember  also  that  Owens,  who  had  been  so 
many  years  in  the  West  Indies  as  a  missionary,  gave  his 
advice  against  marriage.  Schwartz  was  never  married,  nor 
St.  Paul.  On  the  other  hand,  when  I  suppose  another  in 
my  circumstances,  fixed  at  a  settlement  without  company, 
without  society,  in  a  scene  and  climate  of  such  temptation, 
I  say  without  hesitation,  he  ought  to  be  married.  I  have 
recollected  this  evening  very  much  my  feelings  when  I 
walked  through  Wales  ;  how  I  longed  there  to  have  some 
friend  to  speak  to  ;  and  the  three  weeks  seemed  an  age 
without  one.  And  I  have  often  thought  how  valuable 
would  be  the  counsel  and  comfort  of  a  Christian  brother  in 
India.  These  advantages  would  be  obtained  by  marrying. 
I  feel  anxious  also  that  as  many  Christians  as  possible 
should  go  to  India,  and  anyone  willing  to  go  would  be  a 
valuable  addition.  But  yet  voluntary  celibacy  seems  so 
much  more  noble  and  glorious,  and  so  much  more  bene- 
ficial in  the  way  of  example,  that  I  am  loth  to  relinquish 
the  idea  of  it.  In  short,  I  am  utterly  at  a  loss  to  know 
what  is  best  for  the  interests  of  the  Gospel.  But,  happily, 
my  own  peace  is  not  much  concerned  in  it.  If  this  opinion 
of  so  many  pious  clergymen  had  come  across  me  when  I 
was  in  Cornwall,  and  so  strongly  attached  to  my  beloved 
Lydia,  it  would  have  been  a  conflict  indeed  in  my  heart  to 
oppose  so  many  arguments.  But  now  I  feel,  through  grace, 
an    astonishing  difference.     I  hope  I  am  not  seeking  an 


LYDIA   GRENFELL  6i 

excuse  for  marriage,  nor  persuading  myself  I  am  indifferent 
about  it,  in  order  that  what  is  really  my  inclination  maj- 
appear  to  be  the  will  of  God.  But  I  feel  my  affections 
kindling  to  their  wonted  fondness  while  I  dwell  on  the 
circumstances  of  a  union  with  Lydia.  May  the  Lord 
teach  His  weak  creature  to  live  peacefully  and  soberly  in 
His  love,  drawing  all  my  joys  from  Him,  the  fountain  of 
living  waters. 

June  4. — The  subject  of  marriage  made  me  thoughtful 
and  serious.  Mr.  Atkinson,  whose  opinion  I  revere,  was 
against  my  marrying.  Found  near  access  to  my  God  in 
prayer.  Oh,  what  a  comfort  it  is  to  have  God  to  go  to. 
I  breathed  freely  to  Him  my  sorrows  and  cares,  and  set 
about  my  work  with  diligence.  The  Lord  assisted  me 
very  much,  and  I  wrote  more  freely  than  ever  I  did.  Slept 
very  little  in  the  night, 

June  5. — Corrie  breakfasted  with  me,  and  went  to 
prayer ;  I  rejoiced  to  find  he  was  not  unwilling  to  go  to 
India.  He  will  probably  be  my  fellow-labourer.  Most  of 
this  morning  was  employed  in  writing  all  my  sentiments 
on  the  subject  of  marriage  to  Mr.  Simeon.  May  the  Lord 
suggest  something  to  him  which  may  be  of  use  to  guide 
me,  and  keep  my  eye  single.  In  my  walk  out,  and  after- 
wards, the  subject  was  constantly  on  my  mind.  But,  alas  ! 
I  did  not  guard  against  that  distraction  from  heavenly 
things  which  I  was  aware  it  would  occasion.  On  reflection 
at  home,  I  found  I  had  been  talking  in  a  very  inconsistent 
manner,  but  was  again  restored  to  peace  by  an  application 
to  Christ's  blood  through  the  Spirit.  My  mind  has  all  this 
day  been  very  strongly  inclined  to  marriage,  and  has  been 
consequently  uncomfortable,  for  in  proportion  to  its  want 
of  simplicity  it  is  unhappy.  But  Mr.  Cecil  said  to-day,  he 
thought  Lydia's  decision  would  fully  declare  the  will  of 
God.  With  this  I  am  again  comforted,  for  now  hath  the 
Lord  taken  the  matter  into  His  own  hands.  Whatever 
He  decides  upon,  I  shall  rejoice  ;   and  though  I  confess  I 


62  HENRY  MARTYN 

think  she  will  not  consent  to  go,  I  shall  then  have  the 
question  finally  settled. 

Discussion  in  the  evening  was  about  my  marriage 
again  ;  they  were  all  strenuous  advocates  for  it.  Wrote 
at  night  with  great  freedom,  but  my  body  is  very  weak 
from  the  fatigue  I  have  already  undergone.  My  mind 
seems  very  active  this  week  ;  manifestly,  indeed,  strength- 
ened by  God  to  be  enabled  to  write  on  religious  subjects 
with  such  unusual  ease,  while  it  is  also  full  of  this  important 
business  of  the  marriage.  My  inclination  continues,  I 
think,  far  more  unbiassed  than  when  I  wrote  to  Mr. 
Simeon. 

June  7. — Oh,  the  subtlety  of  the  devil,  and  the  deceit- 
fulness  of  this  corrupted  heart !  How  has  an  idol  been 
imperceptibly  raised  up  in  it.  Something  fell  from  Dr.  F. 
this  evening  against  my  marriage  which  struck  me  so 
forcibly,  though  there  was  nothing  particular  in  it,  that 
I  began  to  see  I  should  finally  give  up  all  thoughts  about 
it.  But  how  great  the  conflict!  I  could  not  have  believed 
it  had  such  hold  on  my  affections.  Before  this  I  had  been 
writing  in  tolerable  tranquillity,  and  walked  out  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  resigned  mind,  even  rejoicing  for  the  most 
part  in  God,  and  dined  at  Mr.  Cecil's,  where  the  arguments 
I  heard  were  all  in  favour  of  the  flesh,  and  so  I  was  pleased ; 
but  Dr.  F.'s  words  gave  a  new  turn  to  my  thoughts,  and 
the  tumult  showed  me  the  true  state  of  my  heart.  How 
miserable  did  life  appear  without  the  hope  of  Lydia  !  Oh, 
how  has  the  discussion  of  the  subject  opened  all  my  wounds 
afresh  1  I  have  not  felt  such  heartrending  pain  since  I 
parted  with  her  in  Cornwall.  But  the  Lord  brought  me 
to  consider  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  all  this.  Shall  I 
hesitate  to  keep  my  days  in  constant  solitude,  who  am  but 
a  brand  plucked  from  the  burning  ?  I  could  not  help 
saying,  '  Go,  Hindus,  go  on  in  your  misery  ;  let  Satan  still 
rule  over  you  ;  for  he  that  was  appointed  to  labour  among 
you   is   consulting   his    ease.'     No,  thought  I  ;    hell    and 


LYDIA   G  REN  FELL  63 

earth  shall  never  keep  me  back  from  my  work.  I  am  cast 
down,  but  not  destroyed  ;  I  began  to  consider,  why  am  I 
so  uneasy  ?  '  Cast  thy  care  upon  Him,  for  He  careth  for 
you.'  '  In  everything,  by  prayer,'  &c.  These  promises 
were  graciously  fulfilled  before  long  to  me. 

June  8. — My  mind  continued  in  much  the  same  state 
this  morning,  waiting  with  no  small  anxiety  for  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Simeon,  hoping,  of  course,  that  the  will  of  God 
would  coincide  with  my  will,  yet  thinking  the  determination 
of  the  question  would  be  indifferent  to  me.  When  the 
letter  arrived  I  was  immediately  convinced,  beyond  all 
doubt,  of  the  expediency  of  celibacy.  But  my  wish  did 
not  follow  my  judgment  quite  so  readily.  Mr.  Pratt 
coming  in,  argued  strongly  on  the  other  side,  but  there 
was  nothing  of  any  weight.  The  subject  so  occupied  my 
thoughts  that  I  could  attend  to  nothing  else.  I  saw  my- 
self called  to  be  less  than  ever  a  man  of  this  world,  and 
walked  out  with  a  heavy  heart.  Met  Dr.  F.,  who  alone  of 
all  men  could  best  sympathise,  and  his  few  words  were 
encouraging.  Yet  I  cannot  cordially  acquiesce  in  all  the 
Lord's  dealings,  though  my  reason  and  judgment  approve 
them,  and  my  inclination  would  desire  to  do  it.  Dined  at 
Mr.  Cecil's,  where  it  providentially  happened  that  Mr.  Foster 
came  in.  To  them  I  read  Mr.  Simeon's  letter,  and  they 
were  both  convinced  by  it.  So  I  went  away  home,  with 
nothing  to  do  but  to  get  my  heart  easy  again  under  this 
sacrifice.  I  devoted  myself  once  more  to  the  entire  and 
everlasting  service  of  God,  and  found  myself  more  weaned 
from  this  world,  and  desiring  the  next,  though  not  from  a 
right  principle.  Continued  all  the  evening  writing  sermon, 
and  reading  Pilgrim's  Progress,  with  successions  of  vivid 
emotions  of  pain  and  pleasure.  My  heart  was  sometimes 
ready  to  break  with  agony  at  being  torn  from  its  dearest 
idol,  and  at  other  times  I  was  visited  by  a  few  moments  of 
sublime  and  enraptured  joy.  Such  is  the  conflict  ;  why 
have  my  friends  mentioned  this  subject  ?     It  has  torn  open 


64  HENRY  MARTYN 

old  wounds,  and  I  am  again  bleeding.  With  all  my 
honours  and  knowledge,  the  smiles  and  approbation  of 
men,  the  health  and  prosperity  that  have  fallen  to  my  lot, 
together  with  that  freedom  from  doubts  and  fears  with 
which  I  was  formerly  visited,  how  much  have  I  gone 
through  in  the  last  two  or  three  years  to  bring  my  mind  to 
be  willing  to  do  the  will  of  God  when  it  should  be  revealed  ! 
My  heart  is  pained  within  me,  and  my  bodily  frame  suffers 
from  it. 

Jjine  g.  (Sunday.) — My  heart  is  still  pained.  It  is  still 
as  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to  the  yoke  ;  the  Lord  help 
me  to  maintain  the  conflict.  Preached  this  morning  at 
Long  Acre  Chapel  on  Matt,  xxviii.,  the  three  last  verses. 
There  was  the  utmost  attention.  In  the  interval  between 
morning  and  afternoon,  passed  most  of  the  time  in  reading 
and  prayer.  Read  Matthew  iii.,  and  considered  the  cha- 
racter of  John  the  Baptist.  Holy  emulation  seemed  to 
spring  up  in  my  mind.  Then  read  John  xvii.  and  last  chapter, 
and  Rev.  i.,  all  of  which  were  blessed  to  my  soul.  I  went 
into  the  church  persuaded  in  my  feelings — which  is  dif- 
ferent from  being  persuaded  in  the  understanding — that  it 
was  nobler  and  wiser  to  be  as  John  the  Baptist,  Peter,  John, 
and  all  the  Apostles,  than  to  have  my  own  will  gratified. 
Preached  on  Eph.  ii.  i8.  Walked  a  little  with  Mr.  Grant 
this  evening.  He  told  me  I  should  have  great  trials  and 
temptations  in  India  ;  but  I  know  where  to  apply  for  grace 
to  help. 

Cecil's  final  opinion,  that  Lydia  Gren  fell's  decision 
would  fully  declare  the  will  of  God,  was  not  borne  out  by 
the  result,  as  we  shall  see.  Meanwhile,  let  us  trace  the 
steps  which  led  to  the  final  appointment  to  India,  and 
the  farewell. 

On  his  first  visit  to  London  at  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1804,  by  the  Telegraph  coach,  the  Cambridge  recluse  was 


LYDTA    G  REN  FELL  65 

distracted  by  the  bustle  of  the  great  city,  as  he  walked 
about  the  streets  and  called  at  the  booksellers'.  Dr. 
Wollaston,  the  British  Museum,  and  the  Gresham  Lecture 
on  Music,  of  which  he  was  passionately  fond,  occupied  his 
first  two  days.  At  the  old  India  House,  since  swept  away 
from  Leadenhall  Street,  he  met  Mr.  Charles  Grant,  who, 
as  he  took  him  to  Clapham,  the  evangelical  centre  which 
Sir  James  Stephen  has  made  so  famous,^  gave  him  much 
information  on  the  state  of  India,  such  as  this  : 

It  would  be  absolutely  necessary  to  keep  three  servants, 
for  three  can  do  no  more  than  the  work  of  one  English  ; 
that  no  European  constitution  can  endure  being  exposed 
to  mid-day  heat ;  that  Mr.  Schwartz,  who  was  settled  at 
Tanjore,  did  do  it  for  a  time,  walking  among  the  natives. 
Mr.  Grant  had  never  seen  Mr.  Schwartz,  but  corresponded 
with  him.  He  was  the  son  of  a  Saxon  gentleman  (the 
Saxon  gentlemen  never  enter  the  ministry  of  the  Church), 
and  had  early  devoted  himself  to  the  work  of  a  missionary 
amongst  the  Indians.  Besides  the  knowledge  of  the 
Malabar  tongue,  in  which  he  was  profoundly  skilled  and 
eloquent,  he  was  a  good  classic,  and  learnt  the  English, 
Portuguese,  and  Dutch.  He  was  a  man  of  dignified  and 
polished  manners,  and  cheerful. 

This  was  the  first  opportunity  that  'the  Clapham  sect' 
had  to  satisfy  themselves  that  the  Senior  Wrangler  was 
worthy  of  the  commendation  of  Charles  Simeon.  Accord- 
ingly they  dined  with  William  Wilberforce  at  Broomfield. 

We  conversed  about  my  business.  They  wished  me  to 
fill  the  church  in  Calcutta  very  much  ;  but  advised  me  to 
wait  some  time,  and  to  cherish  the  same  views.  To  Mr. 
Wilberforce  I  went  into  a  detail  of  my  views,  and  the 
reasons  that  had  operated  on  my  mind.     The  conversation 

'  Essay:,  in  Ecclesiastical  Biography. 

F 


66  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  Mr.  Wilberforce  and  Mr.  Grant  during  the  whole  of  the 
day,  before  the  rest  of  the  company,  which  consisted  of  Mr. 
Johnston,  of  New  South  Wales,  a  French  Abbe,  Mrs. 
Unwin,  Mr.  H,,  and  other  ladies,  was  edifying ;  agreeable 
to  what  I  should  think  right  for  two  godly  senators,  plan- 
ning some  means  of  bringing  before  Parliament  propositions 
for  bettering  the  moral  state  of  the  colony  of  Botany  Bay. 
At  evening  worship  Mr.  W.  expounded  Sacred  Scripture 
with  serious  plainness,  and  prayed  in  the  midst  of  his  large 
household. 

In  The  Life  of  William  Wilberforce,  by  his  sons,  we 
find  this  passage  introduced  by  the  remark,  '  It  is  delightful 
to  contrast  with  his  own  language  the  observation  of  one 
who,  with  as  holy  and  as  humble  a  soul,  was  just  entering 
on  his  brief  but  glorious  course:'  Martyn  'drank  tea  at  Mr. 
Newton's ;  the  old  man  was  very  civil  to  me,  and  striking 
in  his  remarks  in  general'     Next  day : 

Read  Isaiah.  At  one,  we  went  to  hear  the  charge 
delivered  to  the  missionaries  at  the  New  London  Tavern, 
in  Cheapside.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  it,  but 
the  conclusion  was  affecting.  I  shook  hands  with  the  two 
missionaries,  Melchior  Rayner  and  Peter  Hartwig,  and 
almost  wished  to  go  with  them,  but  certainly  to  go  to 
India.     Returned,  and  read  Isaiah. 

From  the  ever  recurring  distractions  of  his  soul,  caused 
now  by  '  a  despicable  indulgence  in  lying  in  bed,'  and  again 
by  the  interruptions  of  visitors,  he  sought  refuge  frequently 
in  fasting  and  ascetic  self-denial,  and  occasionally  in  writing 
verse  : 

Composed  some  poetry  during  my  walk  which  often 
has  a  tendency  to  divert  my  thoughts  from  the  base  dis- 
tractions of  this  life,  and  to  purify  and  elevate  it  to  higher 


LYDIA   GREXFELL  67 

subjects,  .  .  .  On  my  way  to  Mr.  Simeon's,  heard  part  of 
the  service  in  King's  Chapel.  The  sanctity  of  the  place, 
and  the  music,  brought  heaven  and  eternal  things,  and  the 
presence  of  God,  very  near  to  me. 

He  seems  to  have  competed  for  the  Scatonian  Prize. 
He  was  an  ardent  lover  of  Nature. 

Walked  out  before  breakfast,  and  the  beauties  of  the 
opening  spring  constrained  me  to  adoration  and  praise. 
But  no  earthly  object  or  operation  can  produce  true 
spirituality  of  heart.  My  present  failing  is  in  this,  that  I 
do  not  feel  the  power  of  motives. 

Of  another  walk  he  writes  : 

I  was  led  to  think  a  good  while  on  my  deficiency  in 
human  learning,  and  on  my  having  neglected  those  branches 
which  would  have  been  pleasing  and  honourable  in  the 
acquisition.  Yet  I  said,  though  with  somewhat  of  melan- 
choly, '  What  things  were  gain  to  me,  those  I  counted  loss 
for  Christ.'  Though  I  become  less  esteemed  by  man,  I 
cannot  but  think  (though  it  is  not  easy  to  do  so)  that  it 
must  be  more  acceptable  to  God  to  labour  for  souls,  though 
the  mind  remains  uninformed  ;  and,  consequently,  that  it 
must  be  more  truly  great  and  noble,  than  to  be  great  and 
notable  among  men  for  learning.  In  the  garden  afterwards 
I  rejoiced  exceedingly  at  the  prospect  of  a  death  fast  ap- 
proaching, when  my  powers  of  understanding  would  be 
enlarged  inconceivably.  They  all  talked  to  me  in  praise  - 
of  my  sermon  on  Sunday  night ;  but  praise  is  exceedingly 
unpleasant  to  me,  because  I  am  slow  to  render  back  to 
God  that  glory  which  belongs  to  Him  alone.  Sometimes 
it  may  be  useful  in  encouraging  me,  when  I  want  en- 
couragement ;  but  that  at  present  is  not  the  case  ;  and  in 
truth,  praise  generally  produces  pride,  and  pride  presently 
gets  me  far  fi'om  God, 

F2 


68  HENRY  MARTYN 

Oh,  what  a  snare  are  public  ministrations  to  me !  Not 
that  I  wish  for  the  praise  of  men,  but  there  is  some  fear 
and  anxiety  about  not  getting  through.  How  happy  could 
I  be  in  meeting  the  people  of  my  God  more  frequently 
were  it  not  for  this  fear  of  being  unprofitable  !  But  since 
God  has  given  me  natural  gifts,  let  this  teach  me  that  all 
I  want  is  a  spiritual  frame  to  improve  and  employ  them 
in  the  things  of  God  ! 

Mr.  K.  White,  of  Nottingham,  breakfasted  with  me. 
In  my  walk  was  greatly  cast  down,  except  for  a  short 
time  on  my  return,  when,  as  I  was  singing,  or  rather 
chanting,  some  petitions  in  a  low,  plaintive  voice,  I  insen- 
sibly found  myself  sweetly  engaged  in  prayer. 

Such  outpourings  of  his  heart  must  be  read  in  the  light 
of  a  time  when  even  the  Churches  had  not  awoke  to  their 
duty,  and  the  most  theologically  orthodox  were  too  often 
the  most  indifferent,  or  opposed,  to  the  Lord's  command. 

\Zodf,  January  13. — Walked  out  in  the  evening  in  great 
tranquillity,  and  on  my  return  met  with  Mr.  C,  with  whom 
I  was  obliged  to  walk  an  hour  longer.  He  thought  it  a 
most  improper  step  for  me  to  leave  the  University  to  preach 
to  the  ignorant  heathen,  which  any  person  could  do,  and 
that  I  ought  rather  to  improve  the  opportunity  of  acquiring 
human  learning.  All  our  conversation  on  the  subject  ot 
learning,  religion,  &c.,  ended  in  nothing ;  he  was  convinced 
he  was  right,  and  all  the  texts  of  Scripture  I  produced  were 
applicable,  according  to  him,  only  to  the  times  of  the 
Apostles.  How  is  my  soul  constrained  to  adore  the  sove- 
reign mercy  of  God,  who  began  His  work  in  my  proud 
heart,  and  carried  it  on  through  snares  which  have  ruined 
thousands — namely,  human  learning  and  honours  :  and  now 
my  soul,  dost  thou  not  esteem  all  things  but  dung  and 
dross,  compared  with  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord  ?   Yea,  did  not  gratitude  constrain  me, 


LYD/A    GRENFELL  69 

did  not  duty  and  fear  of  destruction,  yet  surely  the  excel- 
lency of  the  service  of  Christ  would  constrain  me  to  lay 
down  ten  thousand  lives  in  the  prosecution  of  it.  My 
heart  was  a  little  discomposed  this  evening  at  the  account 
of  the  late  magnificent  prizes  proposed  by  Mr.  Buchanan 
and  others  in  the  University,  for  which  Mr.  C.  has  been 
calling  me  to  write  ;  but  I  was  soon  at  rest  again.  But 
how  easily  do  I  forget  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons  ; 
that  in  the  midst  of  the  notice  I  attract  as  an  enthusiast 
He  judges  of  me  according  to  my  inward  state.  Oh,  my 
soul,  take  no  pleasure  in  outward  religion,  nor  in  exciting 
wonder,  but  in  the  true  circumcision  of  the  heart. 

January  16. told  me  of  many  contemptuous  in- 
sulting things  that  had  been  said  of  me,  reflecting,  some  on 
my  understanding,  some  on  my  condition,  sincerity,  incon- 
sistent conduct.  It  was  a  great  trial  of  my  patience,  and  I 
was  frequently  tempted,  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  to  let 
my  natural  spirit  rage  forth  in  indignation  and  revenge  ; 
but  I  remembered  Him  of  whom  it  was  said,  '  Who,  when 
He  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again  ;  but  committed  Him.self 
to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously.'  As  I  was  conscious  I 
did  not  deserve  the  censures  which  were  passed  upon  me, 
I  committed  myself  to  God  ;  and  in  Him  may  I  abide  until 
the  indignation  be  overpast  I 

In  July  1804  he  again  visited  London  on  his  way  to 
Cornwall,  and  to  see  Mr.  Charles  Grant. 

Dined  with  Mr.  Wilberforce  at  Palace  Yard.  It  was 
very  agreeable,  as  there  was  no  one  else.  Speaking  of  the 
slave  trade,  I  mentioned  the  words,  '  Shall  I  not  visit  for 
these  things  .-• '  and  found  my  heart  so  affected  that  I  could 
with  difficulty  refrain  from  tears.  Went  with  Mr.  W.  to 
the  House  of  Commons,  where  I  was  surprised  and  charmed 
with  Mr.  Pitt's  eloquence.  Ah,  thought  I,  if  these  powers  of 
oratory  were  now  employed  in  recommending  the  Gospel ! 


70  HENRY  MARTYN 

On  his  way  back  to  Cambridge,  through  London,  he 

Went  to  St.  Paul's,  to  see  Sir  W.  Jones's  monument ;  the 
sight  of  the  interior  of  the  dome  filled  my  soul  with  inex- 
pressible ideas  of  the  grandeur  of  God,  and  the  glory  of 
heaven,  much  the  same  as  I  had  at  the  sight  of  a  painted 
vaulted  roof  in  the  British  Museum.  I  could  scarcely 
believe  that  I  might  be  in  the  immediate  enjoyments  of 
such  glory  in  another  hour.  In  the  evening  the  sound  of 
sacred  music,  with  the  sight  of  a  rural  landscape,  imparted 
some  indescribable  emotions  after  the  glory  of  God,  by 
diligence  in  His  work.  To  preach  the  Gospel  for  the 
salvation  of  my  poor  fellow-creatures,  that  they  might 
obtain  the  salvation  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  with  eternal 
glory,  seemed  a  very  sweet  and  precious  employment. 
Lydia  then,  again,  seemed  a  small  hindrance. 

His  duties  as  examiner,  tutor,  and  in  charge  of  Lolworth, 
and  home  mission  work  in  Wall's  Lane,  the  hospital  and 
almshouse,  left  him  little  leisure,  and  that  he  gave  to  the 
Bengali  grammars  of  Halhed  and  Carey,  to  Carey's  Bengali 
New  Testament,  to  Arabic  grammars,  and  to  the  missionary 
accounts  in  the  Christian  Observer,  for  which,  also,  he  wrote 
Referring,  evidently,  to  Carey's  convert,  he  wrote  : 

The  account  of  a  Brahmin  preaching  the  Gospel 
delighted  me  most  exceedingly.  I  could  not  help  blessing 
God  for  thus  glorifying  Himself.  ...  I  was  much  pained 
and  humbled  at  reflecting  that  it  has  never  yet,  to  my 
knowledge,  pleased  God  to  awaken  one  soul  by  my  means, 
either  in  public  or  private, —  shame  be  to  myself. 

Simeon  gave  me  a  letter  from  Mr.  Brown  of  Calcutta, 
which  gave  me  great  delight  on  many  accounts.  Speaking 
of  me,  he  says,  '  Let  him  marry,  and  come  out  at  once.*  I 
thought  of  Lydia  with  great  tenderness,  but  without  pain 
at   my  determination    to   go   out   single.     I    found    great 


LYDIA    G  REN  FELL  71 

affection  in  prayer  for  my  dear  brethren  at  Calcutta,  for  the 
establishing  of  Christ's  Kingdom  among  the  poor  Gentiles, 
and  for  my  being  sent  among  them,  if  it  were  His  will. 

Thinking  my  mind  was  in  need  of  recreation,  I  took  up 
Lord  Teign mouth's  Life  of  Sir  William  fones,  and  read 
till  tea. 

Low  spirits  at  church,  through  being  about  to  preach 
old  sermons,  which  I  feel  so  ashamed  of  offering  to  God, 
that  I  believe  I  shall  rather  leave  everything  undone,  than 
not  write  one  new  one  at  least  every  week. 

Mr.  Thomason  preached  on  Heb.  xii.  to  my  edification. 

Dr.  Milner  and  Lord  C.  called.  I  was  introduced  as 
having  been  Senior  Wrangler ;  but  how  contemptible  did 
these  paltry  honours  appear  to  me  !  Ah,  thought  I,  you 
know  not  how  little  I  am  flattered  by  these  intended  com- 
pliments. 

In  the  hall  was  much  affected  by  the  sight  of  Lord  B., 
whose  look  of  meekness  and  humility  riveted  my  attention, 
and  almost  melted  me  to  tears.  If  there  is  one  disposition 
in  the  world  I  wish  for  more  than  another,  it  is  this  ; 
but  the  bias  of  my  corrupted  nature  hurries  me  violently 
against  it. 

Mr.  Grant's  summons  to  him  'to  sail  for  St.  Helena  in 
eight  or  ten  days,'  reached  him  a  month  before  his  twenty- 
fourth  birthday,  before  which  he  could  not  legally  receive 
full  ordination,  in  the  Chapel  Royal  at  St.  James's. 

Felt  more  persuaded  of  my  call  than  ever  ;  indeed, 
there  was  scarcely  a  shadow  of  a  doubt  left.  Rejoice,  O 
my  soul,  thou  shalt  be  the  servant  of  thy  God  in  this  life, 
and  then  in  the  next  for  all  the  boundless  ages  of  eternity. 

Not  till  August  31  was  it  possible  for  the  fleet  which 
convoyed  the  East  Indiamen,  in  that  year  of  war  with 
France  and  Napoleon's  Continental  allies,  to  see  the  last  of 


72  HENRY  MARTYN 

Ireland.  The  seven  months  were  spent  by  Henry  Martyn 
in  elaborate  preparations  for  what  proved  to  be  nearly  a 
year's  voyage,  and  in  repeated  farewells  the  anguish  of 
which  is  reflected  in  his  Journal  and  correspondence. 
Having  previously  taken  his  M.A.  degree,  he  received  that 
of  Bachelor  of  Divinity  by  mandate,  which  required  the 
assent  of  all  the  heads  of  colleges,  and  then  a  grace  to  pass 
the  senate,  and  the  presenting  of  a  petition  to  the  King, 
Dr.  Gilchrist,  the  Orientalist  who  had  just  returned  from  his 
long  career  in  Calcutta,  where  he  had  been  a  colleague  of 
Carey  in  the  College  of  Fort  William,  gave  him  lessons 
in  Hindustani  pronunciation. 

On  my  mentioning  my  desire  of  translating  some  of  the 
Scriptures  with  him,  he  advised  me  by  all  means  to  desist 
till  I  knew  much  more  of  the  language,  by  having  resided 
some  years  in  the  country.  He  said  it  was  the  rock  on 
which  missions  had  split,  that  they  had  attempted  to 
write  and  preach  before  they  knew  the  language.  The 
Lord's  Prayer,  he  said,  was  now  a  common  subject  of 
ridicule  with  the  people,  on  account  of  the  manner  in  which 
it  had  been  translated.     All  these  are  useful  hints  to  me. 

The  mode  of  appointing  to  Indian  chaplaincies  has 
varied  so  much  since  the  time  of  Charles  Grant  and 
Simeon,  that  it  is  interesting  to  see  what  was  done  in 
Henry  Martyn's  case. 

1805,  April  I.— Went  to  Lord  Hawkesbury's  office,  but, 
being  too  early,  I  went  into  St.  James's  Park,  and  sat  down 
on  a  bench  to  read  my  Bible.  After  a  little  time  a  person 
came  and  sat  down  on  the  same  bench  ;  on  entering  into 
conversation  with  him  I  found  he  had  known  better  days. 
He  was  about  seventy  years  of  age,  and  of  a  very  passion- 
ate and  disappointed  spirit.     He  spoke  sensibly  on  several 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  73 

subjects,  and  was  acquainted  with  the  Gospel  ;  but 
was  offended  at  my  remindini^  him  of  several  things 
concerning  it.  On  my  offering  him  some  money,  which  I 
saw  he  needed,  he  confessed  his  poverty  ;  he  was  thankful 
for  my  little  donation,  and  I  repeated  my  advice  of  seeking 
divine  consolation. 

April  2. — Breakfasted   with    .     Our   conversation 

was  on  the  most  delightful  subject  to  me,  the  spread  of  the 
Gospel  in  future  ages.  I  went  away  animated  and  happy. 
Went  with  Mr.  Grant  towards  the  India  House.  He 
said  that  he  was  that  day  about  to  take  the  necessary  steps 
for  bringing  forward  the  business  of  the  chaplains,  and 
that  by  to-morrow  night  I  should  know  whether  I  could 
go  or  not.  In  prayer  at  night  my  soul  panted  after 
God,  and  longed  to  be  entirely  conformed  to  His  image. 

April  3.— After  dinner,  passed  some  time  in  prayer,  and 
rejoiced  to  think  that  God  would  finally  glorify  Himself, 
whatever  hindrance  may  arise  for  a  time.  Going  to 
Mr.  Grant's,  I  found  that  the  chaplaincies  had  been  agreed 
to,  after  two  hours'  debate,  and  some  obloquy  thrown  upon 
Mr.  Grant  by  the  chairman,  for  his  connection  with  Mr. 
Wilberforce  and  those  people.  Mr.  G.  said  that  though  my 
nomination  had  not  taken  place,  the  case  was  now  beyond 
danger,  and  that  I  should  appear  before  the  court  in  a 
couple  of  days  in  my  canonicals.  I  felt  very  indignant  at 
this,  not  so  much,  I  think,  from  personal  pride,  as  on 
atcount  of  the  degradation  of  my  office.  Mr.  G.  pleasantly 
said,  I  must  attend  to  my  appearance,  as  I  should  be  much 
remarked,  on  account  of  the  person  who  had  nominated 
me.  I  feci  this  will  be  a  trial  to  me,  which  I  would  never 
submit  to  for  gain  ;  but  I  rejoice  that  it  will  be  for  my 
dear  and  blessed  Lord. 

April  4. — Went  down  to  Cambridge. 

April  6. — Passed  most  of  the  morning  in  the  Fellows' 
garden.  It  was  the  last  time  I  visited  this  favourite  retreat, 
where  I  have  often  enjoyed  the  presence  of  God. 


74  HENRY  MARTYN 

April  J.  (Sunday.) — Preached  at  Lohvorth  on  Prov.  xxii. 
17  ;  very  few  seemed  affected  at  my  leaving  them,  and  those 
chiefly  women.  An  old  farmer  of  a  neighbouring  parish, 
as  he  was  taking  leave  of  me,  turned  aside  to  shed  tears  ; 
this  affected  me  more  than  anything.  Rode  away  with  my 
heart  heavy,  partly  at  my  own  corruption,  partly  at  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  this  place  in  such  general  hardness  of 
heart.  Yet  so  it  hath  pleased  God,  I  hope,  to  reserve  them 
for  a  more  faithful  minister.  Prayed  over  the  whole  of  my 
sermon  for  the  evening,  and  when  I  came  to  preach  it,  God 
assisted  me  beyond  my  hopes.  Most  of  the  younger 
people  seemed  to  be  in  tears.  The  text  was  2  Sam.  vii. 
28,  29.  Took  leave  of  Dr.  Milner  ;  he  was  much  affected, 
and  said  himself  his  heart  was  full.  Mr.  Simeon  commended 
me  to  God  in  prayer,  in  which  he  pleaded,  amongst  other 
things,  for  a  richer  blessing  on  my  soul.  He  perceives  that 
I  want  it,  and  so  do  I.  Professor  Parish  walked  home  with 
me  to  the  college  gate,  and  there  I  parted  from  him,  with 
no  small  sorrow. 

April  8. — My  young  friends  in  the  University,  who  have 
scarcely  left  me  a  moment  to  myself,  were  with  me  this 
morning  as  soon  as  I  was  moving,  leaving  me  no  time  for 
prayer.  My  mind  was  very  solemn,  and  I  wished  much  to 
be  left  alone.  A  great  many  accompanied  me  to  the  coach, 
which  took  me  up  at  the  end  of  the  town.  It  was  a  thick, 
misty  morning,  so  the  University,  with  its  towers  and 
spires,  was  out  of  sight  in  an  instant.  • 

April  24. — Keenly  disappointed  at  finding  no  letter 
from  Lydia  ;  thus  it  pleased  God,  in  the  riches  of  His  grace, 
to  quash  at  once  all  my  beginnings  of  entanglement.  Oh, 
may  it  be  to  make  me  more  entirely  His  own.  '  The  Lord 
shall  be  the  portion  of  mine  inheritance,  and  of  my  cup. 
Oh,  may  I  live  indeed  a  more  spiritual  life  of  faith  !  Prayed 
that  I  might  obtain  a  more  deep  acquaintance  with  the 
mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  offices  of  Christ  ;  my  soul 
was  solemnised.     Went  to  Russell  Square,  and  found  from 


LYDTA    GRENFELL  7$ 

Mr.  Grant  that  I  was  that  day  appointed  a  chaplain  to  the 
ICast  India  Company,  but  that  my  particular  destination 
would  depend  on  the  government  in  India.  Rather  may  I 
say  that  it  depends  on  the  w  ill  of  my  God,  who  in  His 
own  time  thus  brings  things  to  pass.  Oh,  now  let  my 
heart  be  spiritualised  ;  that  the  glorious  and  arduous  work 
before  me  may  fill  all  my  soul,  and  stir  me  up  to  prayer. 

April  25. — Breakfasted  with  the  venerable  Mr.  Newton, 
who  made  several  striking  remarks  in  reference  to  my 
work.  He  said  he  had  heard  of  a  clever  gardener,  who 
would  sow  the  seeds  when  the  meat  was  put  down  to 
roast,  and  engage  to  produce  a  salad  by  the  time  it  was 
ready  ;  but  the  Lord  did  not  sow  oaks  in  this  way.  On 
my  saying  that  perhaps  I  should  never  live  to  see  much 
fruit,  he  answered,  I  should  have  a  bird's  eye  view  of  it, 
which  would  be  better.  When  I  spoke  of  the  opposition 
that  I  should  be  likely  to  meet  with,  he  said,  he  supposed 
Satan  would  not  love  me  for  what  I  was  about  to  do.  The 
old  man  prayed  afterwards,  with  sweet  simplicity.  Drank 
tea  at  C.  Our  hearts  seemed  full  of  the  joy  which  comes 
from  the  communion  of  saints. 

April  26. —  Met  D.  at  Mr.  Grant's,  and  was  much 
affected  at  some  marks  of  love  expressed  by  the  people 
at  Cambridge,  at  the  time  of  my  leaving  them.  He  said 
that  as  I  was  going  down  the  aisle  they  all  rose  up  to  take 
their  last  view. 

May  4. — Waiting  this  morning  on  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  at  Lambeth  Palace.  He  had  learnt  from 
somebody  my  circumstances,  the  degree  I  had  taken,  and 
my  object  in  going  to  India.  He  spoke  much  on  the  im- 
portance of  the  work,  the  small  ecclesiastical  establishment 
for  so  great  a  body  of  people,  and  the  state  of  those 
English  there,  who,  he  said,  '  called  themselves  Christians,' 
He  was  throughout  very  civil,  and  wished  me  all  the 
success  I  desired.  I  then  proceeded  to  the  India  House, 
and    received    directions   to  attend   on  Wednesday  to  be 


76  BEARY  MARTYN 

sworn    in.     Afterwards    walked    to    Mr.    Wilberforce's    at 
Broomfield. 

May  8. — Reading  Mr.  Grant's  book.'  The  state  of  the 
natives,  and  the  prospects  of  doing  good  there,  the  character 
of  Schwartz,  &c.,  set  forth  in  it,  much  impressed  my  mind, 
and  I  found  great  satisfaction  in  pleading  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  God's  promises  to  the  heathen.  It  seemed  painful 
to  think  of  myself  at  all,  except  in  reference  to  the  Church 
of  Christ.  Being  somewhat  in  danger  of  distraction  this 
evening,  from  many  concurrent  circumstances,  I  found  a 
very  short  prayer  answered  by  my  being  kept  steady. 
Heard  from  Mr.  Parry  this  evening,  that  in  consequence  of 
an  embargo  laid  on  all  the  ships  by  government,  who  had 
taken  the  best  seamen  from  the  Company's  ships,  on  account 
of  the  sailing  of  the  French  and  Spanish  fleets,  I  should 
not  be  able  to  go  before  the  middle  of  June,  if  so  soon. 

May  15- — Read  prayers  at  Mr.  Newton's,  and  preached 
on  Eph.  ii.  19-21.  The  clerk  threw  out  very  disrespectful 
and  even  uncivil  things  respecting  my  going  to  India  ; 
though  I  thought  the  asperity  and  contemptuousness  he 
manifested  unsuitable  to  his  profession,  I  felt  happy  in  the 
comfortable  assurance  of  being  upright  in  my  intentions 
The  sermon  was  much  praised  by  some  people  coming  in, 
but  happily  this  gives  me  little  satisfaction.  Went  home  and 
read  a  sermon  of  Flavel's,  on  knowing  nothing  but  Christ. 

May  17. — Walked  out,  and  continued  in  earnest  striving 
with  my  corruption.  I  made  a  covenant  with  my  eyes, 
which  I  kept  strictly  ;  though  I  was  astonished  to  find  the 
difficulty  I  had  in  doing  even  this. 

May  22. — Endeavoured  to  guard  my  thoughts  this 
morning  in  a  more  particular  manner,  as  expecting  to  pass 
it,  with  Sargent,  in  prayer  for  assistance  in  the  ministry. 
Called  at  Mr.  Wilberforce's,  when  I  met  Mr.  Babington. 
The  extreme  kindness  and  cordiality  of  these  two  was  very 

'  The  Obsef  vations  on  the  State  of  Society  among  the  Asiatic  Subjects  of 
Great  Britain,  written  in  1792. 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  77 

pleasing  to  me,  though  rather  elating.  By  a  letter  from 
B.  to-day,  learnt  that  two  young  men  of  Chesterton  had 
come  forward,  who  professed  to  have  been  awakened  by  a 
sermon  of  mine  on  Psalm  ix.  17.  I  was  not  so  affected 
with  gratitude  and  joy  as  I  expected  to  be  ;  could  not 
easily  ascribe  the  glory  to  God  ;  yet  I  will  bless  Him 
through  all  my  ignorance  that  He  has  thus  owned  the 
ministry  of  one  so  weak.  Oh,  may  I  have  faith  to  go  on- 
ward, expecting  to  see  miracles  wrought  by  the  foolishness 
of  preaching.  H.,  to  whom  I  had  made  application  for  the 
loan  which  Major  Sandys  found  it  inconvenient  to  advance, 
dined  with  me,  and  surprised  me  by  the  difficulty  he 
started.     After  dinner  went  to  the  India  House  to  take 

leave.     Mr.  ,  the  other  chaplain,  sat  with  me  before 

we  were  called  in,  and  I  found  that  I  knew  a  little  of  him, 
having  been  at  his  house.  As  he  knew  my  character,  I 
spoke  very  freely  to  him  on  the  subject  of  religion.  Was 
called  in  to  take  the  oaths.  All  the  directors  were  present, 
I  think,  Mr.  Grant,  in  the  chair,  addressed  a  charge  to  us, 
extempore.  One  thing  struck  my  attention,  which  was,  that 
he  warned  us  of  the  enervating  effects  of  the  climate. 

I  felt  more  acutely  than  ever  I  did  in  my  life  the 
shame  attending  poverty.  Nothing  but  the  remembrance 
that  I  was  not  to  blame  supported  me.  Whatever  comes 
to  me  in  the  way  of  Providence  is,  and  must  be,  for  my 
good. 

May  30. — Went  to  the  India  House.  Kept  the  cove- 
nant with  my  eyes  pretty  well.  Oh,  what  bitter  experience 
have  I  had  to  teach  me  carefulness  against  temptation  !  I 
have  found  this  method,  which  1  have  sometimes  had 
recourse  to,  useful  to-day — namely,  that  of  praying  in 
ejaculations  for  any  particular  person  whose  appearance 
might  prove  an  occasion  of  sinful  thoughts.  After  asking 
of  God  that  she  might  be  as  pure  and  beautiful  in  her 
mind  and  heart  as  in  body,  and  be  a  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God,  for  whose  glory 


78  HENRY  AfARTVN 

she  was  made,  I  dare  not  harbour  a  thought  of  an  opposite 
tendency. 

June  6. —  How  many  temptations  are  there  in  the  streets 
of  London ! 

June  14. — Sent  off  all  my  luggage,  as  preparatory  to  its 
going  on  board.  Dined  at  Mr.  Cecil's  ;  he  endeavoured  to 
correct  my  reading,  but  in  vain.  '  Brother  M.,'  says  he, 
'you  are  a  humble  man,  and  would  gain  regard  in  private 
life  ;  but  to  gain  public  attention  you  must  force  yourself 
into  a  more  marked  and  expressive  manner.'  Generally, 
to-night,  have  I  been  above  the  world  ;  Lydia,  and  other 
comforts,  I  would  resign. 

June  16. —  I  thought  it  probable,  from  illness,  that  death 
might  be  at  hand,  and  this  was  before  me  all  the  day  ; 
sometimes  I  was  exceedingly  refreshed  and  comforted  at 
the  thought,  at  other  times  I  felt  unwilling  and  afraid  to 
die.  Shed  tears  at  night,  at  the  thought  of  my  departure, 
and  the  roaring  sea,  that  would  soon  be  rolling  between 
me  and  all  that  is  dear  to  me  upon  earth, 

Mrs.  T.  M.  Hitchins,  his  cousin's  wife,  having  asked 
him  for  some  of  his  sermons,  he  replied  : 

London  :  June  24,  1805. 
The  arguments  you  offer  to  induce  me  seem  not  to 
possess  that  force  which  I  look  for  in  your  reasoning. 
Sermons  cannot  be  good  memorials,  because  once  read 
they  are  done  with — especially  a  young  man's  sermons, 
unless  they  possess  a  peculiar  simplicity  and  spirituality  ; 
which  I  need  not  say  are  qualities  not  belonging  to  mine. 
I  hope,  however,  that  I  am  improving  and  I  trust  that — 
now  I  am  removed  from  the  contagion  of  academic  air  — 
I  am  in  the  way  of  acquiring  a  greater  knowledge  of  men 
and  of  my  own  heart — I  shall  exchange  my  jejune  scholastic 
st}le  for  a  simple  spiritual  exhibition  of  profitable  truth. 
Mr.  Cecil  has  been  taking  a  great  deal  of  pains  with  me. 


LYDTA    GRENFFLL  79 

My  insipid,  inanimate  manner  in  the  pulpit,  he  says,  is 
intolerable.  Sir,  said  he,  it  is  cupola-painting,  not  minia- 
ture, that  must  be  the  character  of  a  man  that  harangues 
a  multitude.  Lieut.  Wynter  called  on  me  last  Saturday, 
and  last  night  drank  tea  with  me.  I  cannot  but  admire 
his  great  seriousness.  I  feel  greatly  attached  to  him.  He 
is  just  the  sort  of  person,  of  a  sober  thoughtful  cast,  that 
I  love  to  associate  with.  He  mentioned  Lydia,  I  do  not 
know  why,  but  he  could  not  tell  me  half  enough  about 
her,  while  she  was  at  Plymouth,  to  satisfy  my  curiosity. 
Whitsun-week  was  a  time  of  the  utmost  distress  to  me  on 
her  account.  On  the  Monday  at  the  Eclectic,  Mr.  Cecil, 
speaking  of  celibacy,  said,  I  was  acting  like  a  madman  in 
going  out  without  a  wife.  So  thought  all  the  other  ten  or 
eleven  ministers  present,  and  Mr.  Foster  among  the  rest, 
who  is  unmarried.  This  opinion,  coming  deliberately  from 
so  many  experienced  ministers,  threw  me  into  great 
perplexity,  which  increased,  as  my  affections  began  to  be 
set  more  afloat,  for  then  I  was  less  able  than  before  to 
discern  the  path  of  duty.  At  last  I  wrote  to  Simeon, 
stating  to  him  the  strongest  arguments  I  heard  in  favour 
of  marriage  in  my  case.  His  answer  decided  my  mind. 
He  put  it  in  this  way.  Is  it  necessary  ?  To  this  I  could 
answer.  No.  Then  is  it  expedient  ?  He  here  produced  so 
many  weighty  reasons  against  its  expediency,  that  I  was 
soon  satisfied  in  my  mind.  My  turbulent  will  was,  however, 
not  so  easily  pacified.  I  was  again  obliged  to  undergo  the 
severest  pain  in  making  that  sacrifice  which  had  cost  me 
so  dear  before.  Better  had  it  been  if  those  wounds  had 
never  been  torn  open.  But  now  again,  through  the  mercy' 
of  God,  I  am  once  more  at  peace.  What  cannot  His  power 
effect  ?  The  present  wish  of  my  heart  is  that  there  may 
be  never  a  necessity  of  marriage,  so  that  I  may  henceforth 
have  no  one  thing  upon  earth  for  which  I  would  wish  to 
stay  another  hour,  except  it  be  to  serve  the  Lord  my 
Saviour  in  the  work  of  the  ministry.    Once  more,  therefore 


8o  HENRY  MARTYN 

I  say  to  Lydia,  and  with  her  to  all  earthly  schemes  of 
happiness,  Farewell.  Let  her  live  happy  and  useful  in  her 
present  situation,  since  that  is  the  will  of  God.  How  long 
these  thoughts  may  continue,  I  cannot  say.  At  times  of 
indolence,  or  distress,  or  prevalent  corruption,  the  former 
wishes,  I  suppose,  will  occur  and  renew  my  pain  :  but  pray, 
my  dear  sister,  that  the  Lord  may  keep  in  the  imaginations 
of  the  thoughts  of  my  heart  all  that  may  be  for  the  glory 
of  His  great  name.  The  only  objection  which  presented 
itself  to  my  advisers  to  marriage  was  the  difficulty  of 
finding  a  proper  person  to  be  the  wife  of  a  missionary.  I 
told  them  that  perhaps  I  should  not  have  occasion  to  search 
a  long  time  for  one.  Simeon  knows  all  about  Lydia.  I 
think  it  very  likely  that  he  will  endeavour  to  see  her  when 
she  comes  to  town  next  winter. 

{Addendum  at  the  conimeticement,  before  the  Address^ 

I  never  returned  my  acknowledgment  for  the  little 
hymn  book,  which  is  a  memento  of  both.  It  is  just  the 
sort  of  thing.  Instead  of  sending  the  books  I  intended,  I 
shall  inclose  in  the  tea-caddy  a  little  Pilgrim's  Progress 
for  you,  and  another  for  Lydia. 

July  2  was  spent  with  Corrie  in  prayer,  and  converse 
'  about  the  great  work  among  the  heathen.'  Martyn  gave 
a  final  sitting  for  his  miniature  for  his  sister,  to  'the 
painter  lady,  who  still  repeated  her  infidel  cavils  ;  having 
nothing  more  to  say  in  the  way  of  argument,  I  thought  it 
right  to  declare  the  threatenings  of  God  to  those  who 
reject  the  Gospel.'  On  the  8th  he  sat  for  his  picture,  for 
his  friend  Bates,  to  Russel.  After  his  farewell  to  Sargent, 
and  riding  back. 

Though  I  was  in  good  health  a  moment  before,  yet  as 
I  was  undressing  I  fainted  and  fell  into  a  convulsive  fit ;  I 
lost  my  senses  for  some  time,  and  on  recovering  a  little 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  8l 

found  myself  in  intense  pain.  Death  appeared  near  at 
hand,  and  seemed  somewhat  different  and  more  terrible 
than  I  could  have  conceived  before,  not  in  its  conclusion, 
but  in  itself  I  felt  assured  of  my  safety  in  Christ.  Slept 
very  little  that  night,  from  extreme  debility.  Tenth,  I 
went  to  Portsmouth,  where  we  arrived  to  breakfast,  and 
find  friends  from  Cambridge.  Went  with  my  things  on 
board  the  Union  at  the  Motherbank.  Mr.  Simeon  read 
and  prayed  in  the  afternoon,  thinking  I  was  to  go  on  board 
for  the  last  time.  Mr.  Simeon  first  prayed,  and  then  my- 
self On  our  way  to  the  ship  we  sung  hymns.  The  time 
was  exceedingly  solemn,  and  our  hearts  seemed  filled  with 
solemn  joy. 

As  tidings  from  Lord  Nelson  were  waited  for,  the  fleet — 
consisting  of  fifteen  sail  under  convoy  of  the  Belliqueuse, 
Captain  Byng — went  no  farther  than  Plymouth,  and  then 
anchored  off  Falmouth. 

The  coast  of  Devonshire  and  Cornwall  was  passing 
before  me.  The  memory  of  beloved  friends,  then,  was  very 
strong  and  affecting.  ...  I  was  rather  flurried  at  the  sin- 
gularity of  this  providence  of  God,  in  thus  leading  me  once 
more  to  the  bosom  of  all  my  friends.  ...  1  have  thought  with 
exceeding  tenderness  of  Lydia  to-day  ;  how  I  long  to  see 
her  ;  but  if  it  be  the  Lord's  will.  He  will  open  a  way.  I 
shall  not  take  any  steps  to  produce  a  meeting. 

So  he  wrote  on  July  20.  On  the  same  day,  the  Rev. 
T.  M.  Hitchins  wrote  to  him,  thus  :  '  Lydia,  from  whom  we 
heard  about  ten  days  ago,  is  quite  well.  She  is  much 
interested  in  your  welfare.'  Mrs.  Hitchins  wrote  :  *  Lydia, 
whom  I  heard  lately  from,  is  well,  and  never  omits 
mentioning  you  in  her  letters — and,  I  may  venture  to  say, 
what  you  will  value  still  more,  in  her  prayers  also.'  Martyn 
wrote  to  Mr.  Hitchins  on  the  23rd  :  '  A  great  work  lies 

G 


82  HENRY  MARTYN 

before  me,  and  I  must  submit  to  many  privations  if  I 
would  see  it  accomplished.  I  should  say,  however,  that 
poverty  is  not  one  of  the  evils  I  shall  have  to  encounter  ; 
the  salary  of  a  chaplain,  even  at  the  lowest,  is  600  rupees 
a  month.  Give  my  kind  love  to  mama — as  also  to  Miss 
L.  Grenfell.'  A  postscript  to  the  letter  stated  that  the 
writer  had  taken  his  place  in  the  coach  for  Marazion  : 
'  Trust  to  pass  some  part  of  the  morning  at  Miss  Grenfell's.' 
He  thus  records  in  his  Journal  the  interviews  which 
resulted  in  what  amounted  to  a  brief  engagement : 

I  arrived  at  Marazion  in  time  for  breakfast,  and  met 
my  beloved  Lydia.  In  the  course  of  the  morning  I  walked 
with  her,  though  not  uninterruptedly  ;  with  much  con- 
fusion I  declared  my  affection  for  her,  with  the  intention 
of  learning  whether,  if  ever  I  saw  it  right  in  India  to  be 
married,  she  would  come  out  ;  but  she  would  not  declare 
her  sentiments,  she  said  that  the  shortness  of  arrangement 
was  an  obstacle,  even  if  all  others  were  removed.  In  great 
tumult  I  walked  up  to  St.  Hilary,  whence,  after  dining,  I 
returned  to  Mr.  Grenfell's,  but,  on  account  of  the  number 
of  persons  there,  I  had  not  an  opportunity  of  being  alone 
with  Lydia.  Went  back  to  Falmouth  with  G.  I  was 
more  disposed  to  talk  of  Lydia  all  the  way,  but  roused 
myself  to  a  sense  of  my  duty,  and  addressed  him  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion.  The  next  day  I  was  exceedingly  melan- 
choly at  what  had  taken  place  between  Lydia  and  myself, 
and  at  the  thought  of  being  separated  from  her.  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  believe  that  God  had  settled  the  whole 
matter,  because  I  was  not  willing  to  believe  it. 

To  Miss  Lydia  Grenfell,  Marazion 

Union,  Falmouth  Harbour :  July  27,  1805. 
.  .  .  As   I  was    coming    on    board    this   morning,   and 
reading  Mr.  Serlc's  hymn  you  wrote  out  for  me,  a  sudden 


LYDIA    G  REN  FELL  83 

^ust  of  wind  blew  it  into  the  sea.  I  made  the  boatmen 
immediately  heave  to,  and  recovered  it,  happily  without 
any  injury  except  what  it  had  received  from  the  sea 
1  should  have  told  you  that  the  Morning  Hymn,  which  T 
ahva}'s  kept  carefully  in  my  pocket-book,  was  one  day 
stolen  with  it,  and  other  valuable  letters,  from  my  rooms 
in  college.  It  would  be  extremely  gratifying  to  mc  to 
possess  another  copy  of  it,  as  it  always  reminded  me  most 
forcibly  of  the  happy  day  on  which  we  visited  the  aged 
saint.  The  fleet,  it  is  said,  will  not  sail  for  three  weeks, 
but  if  you  are  willing  to  employ  any  of  your  time  in  pro- 
viding me  with  this  or  any  other  manuscript  hymns,  the 
sooner  you  write  them,  the  more  certain  I  shall  be  of 
receiving  them.  Pardon  me  for  thus  intruding  on  your 
time  ;  you  will  in  no  wise  lose  your  reward.  The 
encouragement  conveyed  in  little  compositions  of  this  sort 
is  more  refreshing  than  a  cup  of  cold  water.  The  Lord  of 
the  harvest,  who  is  sending  forth  me,  who  am  most  truly 
less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  will  reward  you  for  being 
willing  to  help  forward  even  the  meanest  of  His  servants. 
The  love  which  you  bear  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  as  well  as 
motives  of  private  friendship,  will,  I  trust,  induce  you  to 
commend  me  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  His  grace,  at 
those  sacred  moments  when  you  approach  the  throne  of 
our  covenant  God.  To  His  grac'ous  care  I  commend  you. 
May  you  long  live  happy  and  holy,  daily  growing  more 
meet  for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light.  I  remain, 
with  affectionate  regard,  yours  most  truly, 

H.  Martyn. 

July  28. — (Sunday.) — Preached  in  the  morning,  on 
board,  on  John  iii.  3.  In  the  afternoon,  at  Falmouth  Church, 
on  I  Cor.  i.  20  to  26. 

July  29. — My  gloom  returned.  Walked  to  Lamorran  ; 
alternately  repining  at  my  dispensation,  and  giving  it  up 
to  the  Lord.     Sometimes— after  thinking  of  Lydia  for  a 

r.  2 


84  HENRY  MARTYN 

long  time  together,  so  as  to  feel  almost  outrageous  at  being 
deprived  of  her  —  my  soul  would  feel  its  guilt,  and  flee  again 
to  God.  I  was  much  relieved  at  intervals  by  learning  the 
hymn,  '  The  God  of  Abraham  praise.' 

The  lady's  Diary  has  these  passages,  which  show  that 
her  sister,  Mrs.  Hitchins,  had  rightly  represented  the  state 
of  her  heart  as  not  altogether  refusing  to  return  Martyn's 
affection  : 

1805, /«/y  25. — I  was  surprised  this  morning  by  a  visit 
from  H.  M.,  and  have  passed  the  day  chiefly  with  him. 
The  distance  he  is  going,  and  the  errand  he  is  going  on, 
rendered  his  society  particularly  interesting.  I  felt  as  if 
bidding  a  final  adieu  to  him  in  this  world,  and  all  he  said 
was  as  the  words  of  one  on  the  borders  of  eternity.  May 
I  improve  the  opportunity  I  have  enjoyed  of  Christian 
converse,  and  may  the  Lord  moderate  the  sorrow  I  feel  at 
parting  with  so  valuable  and  excellent  friend— some  pains 
have  attended  it,  known  only  to  God  and  myself.  Thou 
God,  that  knowest  them,  canst  alone  give  comfort.  .  .  . 
Oh,  may  we  each  pursue  our  different  paths,  and  meet  at 
last  around  our  Father's  throne  ;  may  we  often  meet  now 
in  spirit,  praying  and  obtaining  blessings  for  each  other. 
Now,  my  soul,  return  to  God,  the  author  of  them. 

July  26. — Oh,  how  this  day  has  passed  away  !  Nothing 
done  to  any  good  purpose.  Lord,  help  me !  I  feel  Thy 
loved  presence  withdrawn  ;  I  feel  departing  from  Thee. 
Oh,  let  Thy  mercy  pardon,  let  Thy  love  succour,  me. 
Deliver  me  from  this  temptation,  set  my  soul  at  liberty, 
and  I  will  praise  Thee.  I  know  the  cause  of  all  this 
darkness,  this  depression  ;  dare  I  desire  what  Thou  dost 
plainly,  by  the  voice  of  Thy  providence,  condemn  ,-'  O 
Lord,  help  me  to  conquer  my  natural  feelings,  help  me  to 
be  watchful  as  Thy  child.  Oh,  leave  me  not,  or  I  fall  a 
prey  to  this  corroding  care.    Let  me  cast  every  care  on  Thee. 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  85 

Gurlyn,  July  30. — Blessed  Lord,  I  thank  Thee  for 
affording  me  the  retirement  I  so  much  delight  in  ;  here  I 
enjoy  freedom  from  all  the  noise  and  interruption  of  a 
town.  Oh,  may  the  Lord  sanctify  this  pleasure.  Oh,  may  it 
prove  the  means  of  benefiting  my  soul.  Oh,  may  I  watch 
against  the  intrusions  of  vain  thoughts  ;  else,  instead  of  an 
advantage,  I  shall  find  solitude  ruinous  to  my  soul. 

August  4. — This  evening  my  soul  has  been  pained  with 
many  fears  concerning  an  absent  friend,  yet  the  Lord 
sweetly  supports  me,  and  is  truly  a  refuge  to  me.  It  is  a 
stormy  and  tempestuous  night;  the  stillness  and  retirement 
of  this  place  add  to  the  solemnity  of  the  hour.  I  hear 
the  voice  of  God  in  every  blast — it  seems  to  say,  '  Sin  has 
brought  storm  and  tempest  on  a  guilty  world.'  O  my 
Father  and  my  God,  Thou  art  righteous  in  all  Thy 
judgments,  merciful  in  all  Thy  ways.  I  would  humbly 
trust  in  Thee,  and  confide  all  who  are  dear  to  me  into 
Thy  hands.  The  anxieties  of  nature,  the  apprehensions 
of  affection,  do  Thou  regulate,  and  make  me  acquiesce  in 
whatever  is  Thy  will. 

August  5. — My  mind  is  relieved  to-day  by  hearing  the 
fleet,  in  which  I  thought  my  friend  had  sailed,  has  not  left 
the  port.  Oh,  how  frequently  do  unnecessary  pains  destroy 
our  peace.  Lord,  look  on  me  to-night,  pardon  my  sins 
and  make  me  more  watchful  and  fight  against  my  inward 
corruption.     Oh,  it  is  a  state  of  conflict  indeed  1 

He  thus  wrote  to  Mrs.  Hitchins : 

Falmouth  :  July  30,  1805. 
*  My  dearest  Cousin, — I  am  exceedingly  rejoiced  at 
being  permitted  to  send  you  one  more  letter,  as  the  former, 
if  it  had  been  the  last,  would  have  left,  I  fear,  a  painful 
impression  on  your  mind.  It  pleased  God  to  restore  peace 
to  my  mind  soon  after  I  came  on  board — as  I  thought — 
finally.  I  was  left  more  alone  with  God,  and  found  blessed 
seasons  of  intercourse  with  Him.    But  when  your  letter  came, 


86  HENRY  MARTYN 

I  found  it  so  sympathising,  so  affectionate,  that  my  heart  was 
filled  with  joy  and  thankfulness  to  God  for  such  a  dear 
friend,  and  I  could  not  refrain  from  bowing  my  knees  im- 
mediately to  pray  that  God  might  bless  all  your  words  to 
the  good  of  my  soul,  and  bless  you  for  having  written  them. 
My  views  of  the  respective  importance  of  things  continue, 
I  hope,  to  rectify.  The  shortness  of  time,  the  precious 
value  of  immortal  souls,  and  the  plain  command  of  Christ, 
all  conspire  to  teach  me  that  Lydia  must  be  resigned — 
and  for  ever—  for  though  you  suggest  the  possibility  of  my 
hereafter  returning  and  being  united  to  her,  I  rather  wish 
to  beware  of  looking  forward  to  anything  in  this  life  as  the 
end  or  reward  of  my  labours.  It  would  be  a  temptation  to 
me  to  return  before  being  necessitated.  The  rest  which 
remaineth  for  the  people  of  God  is  in  another  world,  where 
they  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage.  But  while 
I  thus  reason,  still  a  sigh  will  ever  and  anon  escape  me  at 
the  thought  of  a  final  separation  from  her.  In  the  morning 
when  I  rise,  before  prayer  puts  grace  into  exercise,  there  is 
generally  a  very  heavy  gloom  on  my  spirits — and  a  distaste 
for  everything  in  earth  or  heaven.  You  do  not  seem  to 
suppose  that  any  objection  would  remain  in  her  mind,  if  I 
should  return  and  other  obstacles  were  removed — which 
opinion  of  yours  is,  no  doubt,  very  pleasing  to  me — but  if 
there  weix  anything  more  than  friendship,  do  you  think  it 
at  all  likely  she  could  have  spoken  and  written  to  me  as  she 
has  ?  However,  do  not  suppose  from  this  that  I  wish  to 
hear  from  you  anything  more  on  this  subject — in  the  hope 
of  being  gratified  with  an  assurance  to  the  contrary.  I 
cannot  tell  what  induced  me  to  take  my  leave  of  the  people 
in  the  west  when  I  was  last  there,  as  it  was  so  probable  we 
should  be  detained  ;  were  it  not  for  having  bid  them  adieu, 
I  believe  I  should  pay  them  another  visit — only  that  I 
could  not  do  it  without  being  with  Lydia  again,  which 
might  not  perhaps  answer  any  good  purpose,  and  more 
probably  would  renew  the  pain. 


LYDIA   GRENFELL  87 

If,  in  India,  I  should  be  persuaded  of  the  expediency  of 
marriage,  you  perceive  that  I  can  do  nothing  less  than 
make  her  the  offer,  or  rather  propose  the  sacrifice.  It 
would  be  almost  cruel  and  presumptuous  in  me  to  make 
such  an  application  to  her,  especially  as  she  would  be 
induced  by  a  sense  of  duty  rather  than  personal  attach- 
ment. But  what  else  can  be  done  ?  Should  she  not,  then, 
be  warned  of  my  intention — before  I  go  ?  If  you  advance 
no  objection,  I  shall  write  a  letter  to  her,  notwithstanding 
her  prohibition.  When  this  is  done  no  further  step  remains 
to  be  taken,  that  I  know  of  The  shortness  of  our  ac- 
quaintance, which  she  made  a  ground  of  objection,  cannot 
now  be  remedied. 

The  matter,  as  it  stands,  must  be  left  with  God — and  I 
do  leave  it  with  Him  very  cheerfully.  I  pray  that  hereafter 
I  may  not  be  tempted  to  follow  my  will,  and  mistake  it  for 
God's — to  fancy  I  am  called  to  marriage,  when  I  ought  to 
remain  single — and  you  will  likewise  pray,  my  dear  cousin, 
that  my  mind  may  be  always  under  a  right  direction. 

YWs  Journal  \}ci\x=,  continues  : 

July  31. — Went  on  board  this  morning  in  extreme 
anguish.  I  could  not  help  saying,  '  Lord,  it  is  not  a  sinful 
attachment  in  itself,  and  therefore  I  may  commune  more 
freely  with  Thee  about  it'  I  sought  for  hymns  suitable 
to  my  case,  but  none  did  sufficiently  ;  most  complained  of 
spiritual  distress,  but  mine  was  not  from  any  doubt  of  God's 
favour,  for  I  felt  no  doubt  of  that. 

August  I. — Rose  in  great  anguish  of  mind,  but  prayer 
relieved  me  a  little.  The  wind  continuing  foul,  I  went 
ashore  after  breakfast ;  but  before  this,  sat  down  to  write 
to  Lydia,  hoping  to  relieve  the  burden  of  my  mind.  I 
wrote  in  great  turbulence,  but  in  a  little  time  my  tumult 
unaccountably  subsided,  and  I  enjoyed  a  peace  to  which  I 
have  been  for  some  time  a  stranger.  I  felt  exceedingly 
willing  to  leave  her,  and  to  go  on  my  way  rejoicing.     I 


88  HENRY  MARTVN 

could  not  account  for  this,  except  by  ascribing  it  to  the 
gracious  influence  of  God.  The  first  few  Psalms  were 
exceedingly  comfortable  to  me.  Received  a  letter  this 
evening  from  Emma,  and  received  it  as  from  God  ;  I  was 
animated  before,  but  this  added  tenfold  encouragement. 
She  warned  me,  from  experience,  of  the  carefulness  it 
would  bring  upon  me  ;  but  spoke  with  such  sympathy  and 
tenderness,  that  my  heart  was  quite  refreshed.  I  bowed  my 
knees  to  bless  and  adore  God  for  it,  and  devoted  myself  anew 
to  His  beloved  service.  Went  on  board  at  night ;  the  sea 
ran  high,  but  I  felt  a  sweet  tranquillity  in  Him  who  stilleth 
the  raging  of  the  sea.  I  was  delighted  to  find  that  the 
Lascars  understood  me  perfectly  when  I  spoke  to  them 
a  sentence  or  two  in  Hindustani. 

August  5, — Went  ashore.  Walked  to  Pendennis  garri- 
son ;  enjoyed  some  happy  reflections  as  I  sat  on  one  of 
the  ramparts,  looking  at  the  ships  and  sea. 

August  7. — Preached  at  Falmouth  Church,  on  Psalm 
iii.  I,  with  much  comfort ;  after  church,  set  off  to  walk  to 
St.  Hilary.  Reached  Helston  in  three  hours  in  extraordi- 
nary spirits.  The  joy  of  my  soul  was  very  great.  Every 
object  around  me  called  forth  praise  and  gratitude  to  God. 
Perhaps  it  might  have  been  joy  at  the  prospect  of  seeing 
Lydia,  but  I  asked  myself  at  the  time,  whether  out  of  love 
to  God  I  was  willing  to  turn  back  and  see  her  no  more, 
I  persuaded  myself  that  I  could.  But  perhaps  had  I  been 
put  to  the  trial,  it  would  have  been  otherwise.  I  arrived 
safe  at  St.  Hilary,  and  passed  the  evening  agreeably 
with  R.  8th.  Enjoyed  much  of  the  presence  of  God  in 
morning  prayer.  The  morning  passed  profitably  in  writing 
on  Heb.  ii.  3.  My  soul  seemed  to  breathe  seriously 
after  God.  Walked  down  with  R.  to  Gurlyn  to  call  on 
Lydia.  She  was  not  at  home  when  we  called,  so  I  walked 
out  to  meet  her.  When  I  met  her  coming  up  the  hill,  I 
was  almost  induced  to  believe  her  more  interested  about 
me  than  I  had  conceived.     Went  away  in  the  expectation 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  89 

of  visiting  her  frequently.  Called  on  my  way  (from  Fal- 
mouth) at  Gurlyn.  My  mind  not  in  peace  ;  at  night  in 
prayer,  my  soul  was  much  overwhelmed  with  fear,  which 
caused  me  to  approach  God  in  fervent  petition,  that  He 
would  make  me  perfectly  upright,  and  my  walk  consistent 
with  the  high  character  I  am  called  to  assume. 

August  10. —  Rose  very  early,  with  uneasiness  increased 
by  seeing  the  wind  northerly ;  walked  away  at  seven  to 
Gurlyn,  feeling  little  or  no  pleasure  at  the  thought  of 
seeing  Lydia  ;  apprehension  about  the  sailing  of  the  fleet 
made  me  dreadfully  uneasy ;  was  with  Lydia  a  short  time 
before  breakfast  ;  afterwards  I  read  the  loth  Psalm,  with 
Home's  Commentary,  to  her  and  her  mother  ;  she  was 
then  just  putting  into  my  hand  the  lothof  Genesis  to  read 
when  a  servant  came  in,  and  said  a  horse  was  come  for  me 
from  St.  Hilary,  where  a  carriage  was  waiting  to  convey 
me  to  Falmouth.  All  my  painful  presentiments  were  thus 
realised,  and  it  came  upon  me  like  a  thunderbolt.  Lydia 
was  evidently  painfully  affected  by  it ;  she  came  out,  that 
we  might  be  alone  at  taking  leave,  and  I  then  told  her, 
that  if  it  should  appear  to  be  God's  will  that  I  should  be 
married,  she  must  not  be  offended  at  receiving  a  letter  from 
me.  In  the  great  hurry  she  discovered  more  of  her  mind 
than  she  intended  ;  she  made  no  objection  whatever  to 
coming  out.  Thinking,  perhaps,  I  wished  to  make  an 
engagement  with  her,  she  said  we  had  better  go  quite  free  ; 
with  this  I  left  her,  not  knowing  yet  for  what  purpose  I 
have  been  permitted,  by  an  unexpected  providence,  to  enjoy 
these  interviews.  I  galloped  back  to  St.  Hilary,  and 
instantly  got  into  a  chaise  with  Mr.  R.,  who  had  been  awaked 
by  the  signal  gun  at  five  in  the  morning,  and  had  come  for 
me.  At  Hildon  I  got  a  horse,  with  which  I  rode  to  Fal- 
mouth, meeting  on  the  road  another  express  sent  after  me 
by  R.  I  arrived  about  twelve,  and  instantly  v/ent  on 
board  ;  almost  all  the  other  ships  were  under  weigh,  but  the 
Union  had  got  entangled  in  the  chains.     The  commodore 


90  HENRY  MARTYN 

expressed  his  anger  as  he  passed,  at  this  delay,  but  I 
blessed  the  Lord,  who  had  thus  saved  His  poor  creature 
from  shame  and  trouble.  How  delusive  are  schemes  of 
pleasure  ;  at  nine  in  the  morning  I  was  sitting  at  ease,  with 
the  person  dearest  to  me  on  earth,  intending  to  go  out  with 
her  afterwards  to  see  the  different  views,  to  visit  some 
persons  with  her,  and  to  preach  on  the  morrow  ;  four  hours 
only  elapsed,  and  I  was  under  sail  from  England !  The 
anxiety  to  get  on  board,  and  the  joy  I  felt  at  not  being  left 
behind,  absorbed  other  sorrowful  considerations  for  a  time  ; 
wrote  several  letters  as  soon  as  I  was  on  board.  When  I 
was  left  a  little  at  leisure,  my  spirits  began  to  sink  ;  yet 
how  backward  was  I  to  draw  near  to  my  God.  I  found 
relief  occasionally,  yet  still  was  slow  to  fly  to  this  refuge 
of  my  weary  soul.  Was  meditating  on  a  subject  for 
to-morrow.  As  more  of  the  land  gradually  appeared  behind 
the  Lizard,  I  watched  with  my  spy-glass  for  the  Mount 
(St.  Michael's),  but  in  consequence  of  lying  to  for  the  purser, 
and  thus  dropping  astern  of  the  fleet,  night  came  on  before 
we  weathered  the  point.  Oh,  let  not  my  soul  be  deceived 
and  distracted  by  these  foolish  vanities,  but  now  that  I  am 
actually  embarked  in  Christ's  cause,  let  a  peculiar  unction 
rest  upon  my  soul,  to  wean  me  from  the  world,  and  to 
inspire  me  with  ardent  zeal  for  the  good  of  souls. 

To  Miss  Lydia  Grenfell 

Union,  Falmouth  :  August  lo,  1805. 

My  dear  Miss  Lydia, — It  will  perhaps  be  some  satis- 
faction to  yourself  and  your  mother,  to  know  that  I  was  in 
time.  Our  ship  was  entangled  in  the  chain,  and  was  by 
that  means  the  only  one  not  under  weigh  when  I  arrived 
It  seems  that  most  of  the  people  on  board  had  given  me  up, 
and  did  not  mean  to  wait  for  me.  I  cannot  but  feel  sensibly 
this  instance  of  Divine  mercy  in  thus  preserving  me  from 
the  cf-reat  trouble  that  would  have  attended  the  loss  of  my 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  9i 

passage.  Mount's  Bay  will  soon  be  in  sight,  and  recall 
you  all  once  more  to  my  affectionate  remembrance.  ...  I 
bid  you  a  long  Farewell.  God  ever  bless  you,  and  help 
you  sometimes  to  intercede  for  me. 

H.  Martyn. 

The  lady  alludes  thus,  in  her  Diary,  to  these  events,  in 
language  which  confesses  her  love,  as  she  did  not  again 
confess  it  till  after  his  death  :  ^ 

August  8. — -I  was  surprised  again  to-day  by  a  visit  from 
my  friend,  Mr.  Martyn,  who,  contrary  to  every  expectation, 
is  detained,  perhaps  weeks  longer.  I  feel  myself  called  on 
to  act  decisively — oh  how  difficult  and  painful  a  part — Lord, 
assist  me.  I  desire  to  be  directed  by  Thy  wisdom,  and  to 
follow  implicitly  what  appears  Thy  will.  May  we  each 
consider  Thy  honour  as  entrusted  to  us,  and  resolve,  what- 
ever it  may  cost  us,  to  seek  Thy  glory  and  do  Thy  will. 
O  Lord,  I  feel  myself  so  weak  that  I  would  fain  fly  from 
the  trial.  My  hope  is  in  Thee — do  Thou  strengthen  me, 
help  me  to  seek,  to  know,  and  resolutely  to  do.  Thy  will, 
and  that  we  may  be  each  divinely  influenced,  and  may 
principle  be  victorious  over  feeling.  Thou,  blessed  Spirit, 
aid,  support,  and  guide  us.  Now  may  we  be  in  the  armour 
of  God,  now  may  we  flee  from  temptation.  O  blessed  Jesus, 
leave  me  not,  forsake  me  not. 

August  g. — What  a  day  of  conflict  has  this  been  !  I 
was  much  blessed,  as  if  to  prepare  me  for  it,  in  the  morning, 
and  expected  to  see  my  friend,  and  hoped  to  have  acted 

'  The  parallel  between  Henry  Martyn  and  David  Brainerd,  so  close  as  to 
spiritual  experience  and  missionary  service,  hereditary  consumption  and  early 
death,  is  even  more  remarkable  in  their  hopeless  but  purifying  love.  Brainerd 
was  engaged  to  Jerusha,  younger  daughter  of  the  great  Jonathan  Edwards. 
*  Dear  Jerusha,  are  you  willing  to  part  with  me?'  said  the  dying  missionary 
on  October  4,  1747.  .  .  .  '  If  I  thought  I  should  not  see  you  and  be  happy 
with  you  in  another  world,  I  could  not  bear  to  part  with  you.  But  we  shall 
spend  a  happy  eternity  together!'  See  J.  M.  Sherwood's  edition  (1885)  of 
the  Memoirs  of  Rev.  David  Brainerd,  prefaced  by  Jonathan  Edwards,  D.  D., 
p.  340. 


92  HENRY  MARTYN 

with  Christian  resolution.  At  Tregembo  I  learnt  he  had 
been  called  off  by  express  last  night.  The  effect  this 
intelligence  had  on  me  shows  how  much  my  affections  are 
engaged.  O  Lord,  I  lament  it,  I  wonder  at  myself,  I 
tremble  at  what  may  be  before  me — but  do  not,  O  Lord, 
forsake  me.  The  idea  of  his  going,  when  at  parting  I 
behaved  with  greater  coolness  and  reserve  than  I  ever  did 
before,  was  a  distress  I  could  hardly  bear,  and  I  prayed 
the  Lord  to  afford  me  an  opportunity  of  doing  away  the 
impression  from  his  mind.  I  saw  no  possibility  of  this — 
imagining  the  fleet  must  have  sailed — when,  to  my 
astonishment,  I  learnt  from  our  servant  that  he  had  called 
again  this  evening,  and  left  a  message  that  he  would  be 
here  to-morrow.  Oh,  I  feel  less  able  than  ever  to  conceal 
my  real  sentiments,  and  the  necessity  of  doing  it  does  not 
so  much  weigh  with  me.  O  my  soul,  pause,  reflect — thy 
future  happiness,  and  his  too,  the  glory  of  God,  the  peace 
of  my  dear  mother — all  are  concerned  in  what  may  pass 
to-morrow ;  I  can  only  looTc  and  pray  to  be  directed 
aright. 

August  10. — Much  have  I  to  testify  of  supporting  grace 
this  day,  and  of  what  I  must  consider  Divine  interference 
in  my  favour,  and  that  of  my  dear  friend,  who  is  now  gone 
to  return  no  more.  My  affections  are  engaged  past  re- 
calling, and  the  anguish  I  endured  yesterday,  from  an 
apprehension  that  I  had  treated  him  with  coolness,  exceeds 
my  power  to  express  ;  but  God  saw  it,  and  kindly  ordered 
it  that  he  should  come  and  do  away  the  idea  from  my 
mind.  It  contributed  likewise  to  my  peace,  and  I  hope  to 
his,  that  it  is  clearly  now  understood  between  us  that  he 
is  free  to  marry  where  he  is  going,  and  I  have  felt  quite 
resigned  to  the  will  of  God  in  this,  and  shall  often  pray  the 
Lord  to  find  him  a  suitable  partner. 

Went  to  meeting  in  a  comfortable  frame,  but  the 
intelligence  brought  me  there — that  the  fleet  had  probably 
sailed  without  my  friend — so  distressed  and  distracted  my 


LYDIA    GRENFELL  93 

mind,  that  I  would  gladly  have  exchanged  my  feelings  of 
yesterday  for  those  I  was  now  exercised  with ;  yet  in 
prayer  I  found  relief,  and  in  appealing  to  God.  How 
unsought  by  me  was  his  coming  here.  I  still  felt  anxiety 
beyond  all  expression  to  hear  if  he  arrived  in  time  or  not. 
Oh,  not  for  all  the  world  could  offer  me  would  I  he  should 
lose  his  passage  ! — yet  stay,  my  soul,  recollect  thyself,  are 
not  all  events  at  the  Lord's  disposal  ?  Are  not  the  steps 
of  a  good  man  ordered  by  the  Lord .''  Cast  then  this 
burden  on  Him  who  carest  for  thee,  my  soul.  Oh,  let  not 
Thy  name,  great  God,  be  blasphemed  through  us — surely 
we  desire  to  glorify  it  above  all  things,  and  would  sacrifice 
everything  to  do  so  ;  enter  then  my  mind  this  night,  and 
let  me  in  every  dark  providence  trust  in  the  Lord. 

August  II. — A  day  of  singular  mercies.  O  my  soul, 
how  should  the  increasing  goodness  of  God  engage  thee  to 
serve  Him  with  more  zeal  and  ardour.  I  had  a  comfortable 
season  in  prayer  before  breakfast,  enjoying  sweet  liberty  of 
spirit  before  God  my  Saviour,  God,  the  sinner's  friend  and 
helper.  Went  to  church,  but  could  get  no  comfort  from 
the  sermon  ;  the  service  I  found  in  some  parts  quickening. 
On  my  return  I  found  a  letter  from  my  excellent  friend, 
dated  on  board  the  Union.  Oh,  what  a  relief  to  my 
mind !  By  a  singular  providence  this  ship  was  prevented 
sailing  by  getting  entangled  in  the  chain  ;  every  other 
belonging  to  the  fleet  was  under  weigh  when  he  reached 
Falmouth,  and  his  friends  there  had  given  over  the  hope  of 
his  arriving  in  time.  Doth  not  God  care  for  His  people, 
and  order  everything,  even  the  most  trifling,  that  concerns 
them  }  The  fleet  must  not  sail  till  the  man  of  God  joined 
it ; — praised  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  for  this  instance  of 
His  watchful  care.  And  now,  my  soul,  turn  to  God,  thy 
rest.  Oh,  may  the  remembrance  of  my  dear  friend,  whilst 
it  is  cherished  as  it  ought,  be  no  hindrance  to  my  progress 
in  grace  and  holiness.  May  God  alone  fill  my  thoughts, 
and  may  my  regard  for  my  friend  be  sanctified,  and  be  a 


94  HENRY  MARTYM 

means  of  stimulating  me  to  press  forward,  and  animate  me 
in  devoting  myself  entirely  to  God.  Lord,  I  would  un- 
feignedly  adore  Thee  for  all  the  instances  of  Thy  loving 
kindness  to  me  this  week.  I  have  had  many  remarkable 
answers  to  prayer,  many  proofs  that  the  Lord  watches 
over  me,  unworthy  as  I  am.  O  Divine  Saviour,  how  shall 
I  praise  Thee  ?  Walked  this  evening  to  a  little  meeting  at 
Thirton  Wood.  I  was  greatly  refreshed  and  comforted.  Oh, 
what  a  support  in  time  of  trouble  is  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel !  I  am  about  retiring  to  rest — oh,  may  my  thoughts 
upon  my  bed  be  solemn  and  spiritual.  The  remembrance 
of  my  dear  friend  is  at  times  attended  with  feelings  most 
painful,  and  yet,  when  I  consider  why  he  is  gone,  and 
Whom  he  is  serving,  every  burden  is  removed,  and  I  rejoice 
on  his  account,  and  rejoice  that  the  Lord  has  such  a  faithful 
servant  employed  in  the  work.  Oh,  may  I  find  grace 
triumphant  over  every  feeling  of  my  heart.  Come,  Lord 
Jesus,  and  dwell  with  me. 

August  12. — Passed  a  sweet, peaceful  day, enjoying  much 
of  His  presence  whose  favour  giveth  life,  and  joy,  and  peace. 
Visited  several  of  the  poor  near  me,  and  found  ability  to 
speak  freely  and  feelingly  to  them  of  the  state  of  their  souls. 
My  dear  absent  friend  is  constantly  remembered  by  me, 
but  I  find  not  his  remembrance  a  hindrance  to  my  soul  in 
following  after  God — no,  rather  does  it  stimulate  me  in  my 
course.  Thus  hath  the  Lord  answered  my  prayers,  as  it 
respects  myself,  that  our  regard  might  be  a  sanctified  one. 
Oh,  bless  the  Lord,  my  soul,  for  ever  !  praise  Him  in  cheerful 
lays  from  day  to  day,  and  hope  eternally  to  do  so. 

August  13. — Awoke  early  and  had  a  happy  season. 
Visited  a  poor  old  man  in  great  poverty,  whose  mind 
seemed  disposed  to  receive  instruction,  and  in  some  measure 
enlightened  to  know  his  sinful  state  and  need  of  Christ ;  I 
found  it  a  good  time  whilst  with  him.  This  evening  my 
spirits  are  depressed  ;  my  absent  friend  is  present  to  my 
remembrance,  possessing  more  than  common  sensibility  and 


LYDIA   GRENFELL  95 

affection.  What  must  his  sufferings  be  ?  but  God  Is  sufficient 
for  him.  He  that  careth  for  the  falling  sparrow  will  not 
forget  him — this  is  my  never-failing  source  of  consolation. 

August  15. — My  soul  has  been  cold  in  duties  to-day. 
Oh,  for  the  spirit  of  devotion  !  Great  are  the  things  God 
has  wrought  for  me  ;  oh,  let  these  great  things  suitably  im- 
press my  soul.  I  have  had  many  painful  reflections  to-day 
respecting  my  absent  friend,  fearing  whether  I  may  not  be 
the  occasion  of  much  sorrow  to  him  and  possibly  of 
hindering  him  in  the  work.  I  could  not  do  such  violence 
to  my  feelings  as  to  treat  him  with  reserve  and  distance, 
yet,  in  his  circumstances,  I  think  I  ought  to.  O  Lord,  if 
in  this  I  have  offended,  forgive  me,  and  oh,  do  away 
from  his  mind  every  improper  remembrance  of  me.  Help 
me  to  cast  my  cares  on  Thee  to-night,  and  help  me  with 
peace. 

Marazion,  September  2. — My  mind  has  been  exercised 
with  many  painful  anxieties  about  my  dear  friend,  but  I 
have  poured  out  my  soul  to  God,  and  am  relieved  ;  I  have 
left  my  sorrows  with  Him.  Isaiah  (41st  chapter)  has 
comforted  me.  Oh,  what  pleasure  did  that  permission  give 
me  when  my  heart  was  overburdened  to-day.  *  Produce 
your  cause' — what  a  privilege  to  come  to  God  as  a  friend. 
I  disclose  those  feelings  to  Him  I  have  no  power  to  to  any 
earthly  friend.  Those  I  could  say  most  to  seem  to  avoid 
the  subject  that  occupies  my  mind  ;  I  have  been  wounded 
by  their  silence,  yet  I  do  not  imagine  them  indifferent  or 
unconcerned.  It  is  well  for  me  they  have  seemed  to  be  so, 
for  it  has  made  me  more  frequent  at  a  throne  of  grace,  and 
brought  me  more  acquainted  with  God  as  a  friend  who 
will  hear  all  my  complaints.  Oh,  how  sweet  to  approach 
Him,  through  Christ,  as  my  God.  '  Fear  not,"  He  says, '  for 
I  am  with  you  :  be  not  dismayed,  I  am  thy  God,  I  will 
strengthen  thee,  yea  (O  blessed  assurance ! )  I  will  help 
thee,  yea,  I  will  uphold  thee  with  the  right  hand  of  My 
righteousness  ; '  and  so  I  find  it — glory  be  to  God  !     Lord, 


96  HENRY  MARTYN 

hear  the  frequent  prayers  I  offer  for  Thy  dear  servant, 
sanctify  our  mutual  regard ;  may  it  continue  through  eternity, 
flowing  from  our  love  to  Thee. 

September  3. — Still  no  letters  from  Stoke,  and  no 
intelligence  whether  the  fleet  has  sailed — this  is  no  small 
exercise  of  my  patience,  but  at  times  I  feel  a  sweet 
complacency  in  saying,  '  Thou  art  my  portion,  O  Lord.'  V 
have  often  felt  happy  in  saying  this,  but  it  is  in  a  season 
such  as  this,  when  creature  comforts  fail,  that  we  may  know 
whether  we  are  sincere  in  saying  so.  Ah  !  how  do  we 
imperceptibly  cleave  to  earth,  and  how  soon  withdraw 
our  affections  from  God.  I  am  sensible  mine  would  never 
fix  on  Him  but  by  His  own  power  effecting  it.  I  rest  on 
Thy  power,  O  God  most  high,  retired  from  human  obser- 
vation. 

When  the  commodore  opened  his  sealed  despatches  off 
the  Lizard,  it  was  found  that  the  fleet  was  to  linger  still 
longer  at  Cork,  whence  Henry  Martyn  wrote  again  to 
Lydia's  sister,  Mrs.  Hitchins.  On  Sunday,  when  becalmed 
in  Mount's  Bay,  and  he  would  have  given  anything  to  have 
been  ashore  preaching  at  Marazion  or  St.  Hilary,  he  had 
taken  for  his  text  Hebrews  xi.  16  :  '  But  now  they  desire 
a  better  country,  that  is,  an  heavenly.' 

Cork  Harbour  :  August  19,  1805. 

The  beloved  objects  were  still  in  sight,  and  Lydia  I 
knew  was  about  that  time  at  St.  Hilary,  but  every  wave 
bore  me  farther  and  farther  from  them.  I  introduced  what 
I  had  to  say  by  observing  that  we  had  now  bid  adieu  to 
England,  and  its  shores  were  dying  away  from  the  view. 
The  female  part  of  my  audience  were  much  affected,  but  I 
do  not  know  that  any  were  induced  to  seek  the  better 
country.  The  Mount  continued  in  sight  till  five  o'clock, 
when  it  disappeared  behind  the  western  boundary  of  the 


LYDIA    G  REN  FELL  97 

bay.  Amidst  the  extreme  gloom  of  my  mind  this  day  I 
found  great  comfort  in  interceding  earnestly  for  my  beloved 
friends  all  over  England.  If  you  have  heard  from  Marazion 
since  Sunday,  I  should  be  curious  to  know  whether  the  fleet 
was  observed  passing.  .  .  , 

We  are  now  in  the  midst  ot  a  vast  number  of  transports 
filled  with  troops.  It  is  now  certain  from  our  coming  here 
that  we  are  to  join  in  some  expedition,  probably  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  or  the  Brazils  ;  anywhere  for  me  so  long  as 
the  Lord  goes  with  me.  If  it  should  please  God  to  send 
me  another  letter  from  you,  which  I  scarcely  dare  hope,  do 
not  forget  to  tell  me  as  much  as  you  can  about  Lydia.  I 
cannot  write  to  her,  or  I  should  find  the  greatest  relief  and 
pleasure  even  in  transmitting  upon  paper  the  assurances  of 
my  tenderest  love. 

Cove  of  Cork  :  August  28,  1805. 

My  dearest  Cousin, — I  have  but  a  few  minutes  to 
say  that  we  are  again  going  to  sea — under  convoy  of  five 
men  of  war.  Very  anxiously  have  I  been  expecting  to 
receive  an  answer  to  the  letter  I  sent  you  on  my  arrival 
at  this  port,  bearing  date  August  16 ;  from  the  manner  in 
which  I  had  it  conveyed  to  the  post-office,  I  begin  to  fear 
it  has  never  reached  you,  I  have  this  instant  received  the 
letter  you  wrote  me  the  day  on  which  we  sailed  from 
Falmouth.  Everything  from  you  gives  me  the  greatest 
pleasure,  but  this  letter  has  rather  tended  to  excite 
sentiments  of  pain  as  well  as  pleasure.  I  fear  my  pro- 
ceedings have  met  with  your  disapprobation,  and  have 
therefore  been  wrong — since  it  is  more  probable  you  should 
judge  impartially  than  myself 

I  am  now  fully  of  opinion  that,  were  I  convinced  of 
the  expediency  of  marriage,  I  ought  not  in  conscience  to 
propose  it,  while  the  obstacle  of  S.  J.  remains.  Whatever 
others  have  said,  I  think  that  Lydia  acts  no  more  than 
consistently  by  persevering  in  her  present  determination. 

H 


98  HEXRY  MARTYN 

I  confess,  therefore,  that  till  this  obstacle  is  removed  my 
path  is  perfectly  clear,  and,  blessed  be  God  !  I  feel  very, 
very  happy  in  all  that  my  God  shall  order  concerning  me. 
Let  me  suffer  privation,  and  sorrow  and  death,  if  I  may  by 
these  tribulations  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  Since  we 
have  been  lying  here  I  have  been  enjoying  a  peace  almost 
uninterrupted.  The  Spirit  of  adoption  has  been  drawing 
me  near  to  God,  and  giving  me  the  full  assurance  of  His 
love.  My  prayer  is  continually  that  I  may  be  more  deeply 
and  habitually  convinced  of  His  unchanging,  everlasting 
love,  and  that  my  whole  soul  may  be  altogether  in  Christ. 
The  Lord  teaches  me  to  desire  Christ  for  my  all  in  all — 
to  long  to  be  encircled  in  His  everlasting  arms,  to  be 
swallowed  up  in  the  fulness  of  His  love.  Surely  the  soul 
is  happy  that  thus  bathes  in  a  medium  of  love.  I  wish  no 
created  good,  but  to  be  one  with  Him  and  to  be  living  for  my 
Saviour  and  Lord.  Oh,  may  it  be  my  constant  care  to  live 
free  from  the  spirit  of  bondage,  and  at  all  times  have  access 
to  the  Father.  This  I  now  feel,  my  beloved  cousin,  should 
be  our  state — perfect  reconciliation  with  God,  perfect 
appropriation  of  Him  in  all  His  endearing  attributes, 
according  to  all  that  He  has  promised.  This  shall  bear  us 
safely  through  the  storm.  Oh,  how  happy  are  we  in  being 
introduced  to  such  high  privileges  !  You  and  my  dear 
brother,  and  Lydia,  I  rejoice  to  think,  are  often  praying 
for  me  and  interested  about  me.  I  have,  of  course,  much 
more  time  and  leisure  to  intercede  for  you  than  you  for 
me — and  }ou  may  be  assured  I  do  not  fail  to  employ 
my  superior  opportunities  in  your  behalf  Especially  is  it 
m\'  prayer  that  the  mind  of  my  dear  cousin,  formed  as 
it  is  by  nature  and  by  grace  for  higher  occupations,  may 
not  be  rendered  uneasy  by  the  employments  and  cares 
of  this. 

Hearing    nothing   accurately  of  the    India  fleet  after 
its   departure   from    Mount's    Bay,    Lydia   Grenfell   thus 


LVD/A    GKENFELL  99 

betrayed    to    herself    and    laid    before    God    her    loving 
anxiety  : 

1805,  September  24. — Have  I  not  reason  ever,  and  in 
all  things,  to  trust  and  bless  God  ?  O  my  soul,  why  dost 
thou  yield  to  despondency?  why  art  thou  disquieted?  O 
my  soul,  put  thy  trust  in  God,  assured  that  thou  shalt  yet 
praise  Him,  who  is  the  help  of  thy  countenance  and  thy 
God  in  Christ  Jesus.  My  mind  is  under  considerable 
anxiety,  arising  from  the  uncertainty  of  my  dear  friend's 
situation,  and  an  apprehension  of  his  being  ill.  Oh,  how 
soon  is  my  soul  filled  with  confusion  !  yet  I  find  repose  for 
it  in  the  love  of  Jesus  — oh,  let  me  then  raise  my  eyes  to 
Him,  and  may  His  love  be  shed  abroad  in  my  heart ;  make 
me  in  all  things  resigned  to  Thy  will,  to  trust  and  hope 
and  rejoice  in  Thee. 

November  \. — My  dear  absent  friend  has  too  much 
occupied  my  thoughts  and  affections,  and  broken  my  peace 
— but  Jesus  reigns  in  providence  and  grace,  and  He  does 
all  things  well.  Yes,  in  my  best  moments  I  can  rejoice  in 
believing  this,  but  too  often  I  yield  to  unbelieving  fears  and 
discouragements.  The  thought  that  we  shall  meet  no 
more  sinks  at  times  my  spirits,  yet  I  would  say  and  feel 
submissive — Thy  will  be  done.  Choose  for  my  motto,  on 
entering  my  thirty-first  year,  this  Scripture  :  '  Our  days  on 
the  earth  are  as  a  shadow,  and  there  is  none  abiding.' 

November  4. — I  think  of  my  friend,  but  blessed  be  God 
for  not  suffering  my  regard  to  lead  me  from  Himself 

November  16. —  I  have  been  employed  to-day  in  a 
painful  manner,  writing '  (perhaps  for  the  last  time)  to  too 
dear  a  friend.  I  have  to  bless  God  for  keeping  me  com- 
posed whilst  doing  so,  and  for  peace  of  mind  since,  arising 
from  a  conviction  that  I  have  done  right ;  and  oh,  that  I 
may  now  be  enabled  to  turn  my  thought  from  all  below  to 

'  This  letter  never  reached  its  destination,  but  was  captured  in  the  Bell 
Packet. 


loo  HENRY  MARTYN 

that  better  world  where  my  soul  hopes  eternally  to  dv\  ell. 
Blessed  Lord  Jesus,  be  my  strength  and  shield.  Oh,  let 
not  the  enemy  harass  me,  nor  draw  my  affections  from 
Thee. 

November  17. — Felt  great  depression  of  spirits  to-day, 
from  the  improbability  of  ever  seeing  H.  M.  return.  I  feel 
it  necessary  to  fly  to  God,  praying  for  submission  to  His 
will,  and  to  rest  assured  of  the  wisdom  and  love  of  this 
painful  event.  O  my  soul,  rise  from  these  cares,  look 
beyond  the  boundary  of  time.  Oh,  cheering  prospect,  in 
that  blest  world  where  my  Redeemer  lives  I  shall  regain 
every  friend  I  love — with  Christian  love  again.  Be 
resigned  then,  my  soul,  Jesus  is  thine,  and  He  does  all 
things  well 


lOI 


CHAPTER    III 

THE   NINE    MONTHS'   VOYAGE— SOUTH   AMERICA — 
SOUTH   AFRICA,    1805-1806 

The  East  India  fleet  had  been  detained  off  Ireland  '  for 
fear  of  immediate  invasion,  in  which  case  the  ships  might 
be  of  use.'  The  young  chaplain  was  kept  busy  enough  in 
his  own  and  the  other  vessels.  In  one  of  these,  the  Ann, 
there  was  a  mutiny.  Another,  the  Pitt,  was  a  Botany  Bay 
ship,  carrying  out  120  female  convicts.  Thanks  to  Charles 
Simeon,  he  was  able  to  supply  all  with  Bibles  and  religious 
books.  But  even  on  board  his  own  transport,  the  Union, 
the  captain  would  allow  only  one  service  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  denied  permission  to  preach  to  the  convicts.  The 
chaplain's  ministrations  between  decks  were  continued 
daily,  amid  the  indifference  and  even  opposition  of  all 
save  a  few. 

At  last,  on  August  31,  1805,  the  Indiamen  of  the  season 
and  fifty  transports  sailed  out  of  the  Cove  of  Cork  under 
convoy  of  the  Diadem,  64  guns,  the  Belliqueuse,  64  guns, 
the  Leda  and  Narcissus  frigates,  on  a  voyage  which,  after 
two  months  since  lifting  the  anchor  at  Portsmouth,  lasted 
eight  and  a  half  months  to  Calcutta.  The  Union  had 
H.M.  59th  Regiment  on  board.  Of  its  officers  and  men, 
and  of  the  East  India  Company's  cadets  and  the  officers 
commanding  them,  he  succeeded  in  inducing  only  five  to 


I02  HENRY  MARTYN 

join  him  in  daily  worship.  His  own  presence  and  this 
little  gathering  caused  the  vessel  to  be  known  in  the  fleet 
as  'the  praying  ship.'  The  captain  died  during  the  voyage 
to  the  Cape.  One  of  the  ships  was  wrecked,  the  Union 
narrowly  escaping  the  same  fate.  Martyn's  Journal  reveals 
an  amount  of  hostility  to  himself  and  of  open  scoffing  at 
his  message  which  would  be  impossible  now.  He  fed  his 
spirit  with  the  Word  of  God,  which  he  loved  to  expound 
to  others.  Leighton,  especially  the  too  little  known  Rules 
for  Holy  Living,  was  ever  in  his  hands.  Augustine  and 
Ambrose  delighted  him,  also  Hooker,  Baxter,  Jonathan 
Edwards,  and  Flavel,  which  he  read  to  any  who  would 
listen,  while  he  spoke  much  to  the  Mohammedan  Lascars. 
He  worked  hard  at  Hindustani,  Bengali,  and  Portuguese. 
Not  more  faithfully  reflected  in  \\\s  Journal  than  the  tedium 
of  the  voyage  and  the  often  blasphemous  opposition  of  his 
fellows  are,  all  unconsciously,  his  own  splendid  courage, 
his  untiring  faithfulness  even  when  down  with  dysentery  and 
cough,  his  watchful  prayerfulness,  his  longing  for  the  spread 
of  Christ's  kingdom.  As  the  solitary  young  saint  paced 
the  deck  his  thoughts,  too,  were  with  the  past — with  Lydia, 
in  a  way  which,  even  he  felt,  did  not  leave  him  indisposed 
for  communion  with  God.  From  Funchal,  Madeira,  he 
wrote  to  Lydia's  sister  :  '  God  knows  how  dearly  I  love  you, 
and  Lydia  and  Sally  (his  younger  sister),  and  all  His  saints 
in  England,  yet  I  bid  you  all  an  everlasting  farewell  almost 
without  a  sigh.'  His  motto  throughout  the  voyage  was  the 
sentence  in  which  Milner  characterises  the  first  Christians : 

'To  Believe,  to  Suffer,  and  to  Love.' 

Meanwhile  Lydia  Grenfell  was  thus  committing  to  her 
Diary  these  melancholy  longings : 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1 805-1 806  103 

November  22. — Yesterday  brought  me  most  pleasing 
intelligence  from  my  dear  friend,  for  which  I  have  and  do 
thank  Thee,  O  Lord  my  God.  He  assures  us  of  his  being- 
well,  and  exceedingly  happy — oh,  may  he  continue  so.  I 
have  discovered  that  insensibly  I  have  indulged  the  hope 
of  his  return,  which  this  letter  has  seemed  to  lessen.  I  sec 
it  is  my  duty  to  familiarise  my  mind  to  the  idea  of  our 
separation  being  for  ever,  with  what  feelings  the  thought  is 
admitted,  the  Lord — whose  will  I  desire  therein  to  be  done 
— only  knows,  and  I  find  it  a  blessed  relief  to  look  to  Him 
for  comfort.  I  can  bear  testimony  to  this,  that  the  Lord 
does  afford  me  the  needful  support.  I  have  been  favoured 
much  within  this  day  or  two,  and  seem,  if  I  may  trust  to 
present  feelings,  to  be  inspired  to  ask  the  Lord's  sovereign 
will  and  pleasure  concerning  me  and  him.  I  look  forward 
to  our  meeting  only  in  another  state  of  existence,  and  oh, 
how  pure,  how  exalted  will  be  our  affection  then  !  here  it 
is  mixed  with  much  evil,  many  pains,  and  great  anxieties. 
Hasten,  O  Lord,  Thy  coming,  and  fit  me  for  it  and  for  the 
society  of  Thy  saints  in  light.  I  desire  more  holiness, 
more  of  Christ  in  my  soul,  more  of  His  likeness.  Oh,  to  be 
filled  with  all  Thy  fulness,  to  be  swallowed  up  in  Thee  ! 

November  23. — Too  much  has  my  mind  been  occupied 
to-day  with  a  subject  which  must  for  ever  interest  me. 
O  Lord,  have  mercy  on  me !  help  can  only  come  from 
Thee.  Let  Thy  blessed  Word  afford  me  relief ;  let  the  aids 
of  Thy  Spirit  be  vouchsafed.  Restore  to  me  the  joys  of 
Thy  salvation. 

November  24. — Passed  a  night  of  little  sleep,  my  mind 
'.cstless,  confused,  and  unhappy.  In  vain  did  I  endeavour 
to  fix  my  thoughts  on  spiritual  things,  and  to  drive  away 
those  distressing  feaj-s  of  what  may  befall  my  dear  friend. 
Blessed  for  ever  be  the  Lord  that  on  approaching  His 
mercy-seat,  through  the  blood  of  Jesus,  I  found  peace,  rest, 
and  an  ability  to  rely  on  God  for  all  things.  I  have  through 
the  day  enjoyed  a  sense  of  the  Divine  presence,  and  a 


I04  HENRY  MARTYN 

blessed  nearness  to  the  Lord.  To-ni'n^ht  I  am  favoured 
with  a  sweet  calmness  ;  I  seem  to  have  no  desire  to  exert 
myself.  O  Lord,  animate,  refresh  my  fainting  soul.  I  see 
how  dangerous  it  is  to  admit  any  worldly  object  into  the 
heart,  and  how  prone  mine  is  to  idolatry,  for  whatever  has 
the  preference,  that  to  God  is  an  idol.  Alas  !  my  thoughts, 
my  first  and  last  thoughts,  are  now  such  as  prove  that  God 
cannot  be  said  to  have  the  supreme  place  in  my  affections ; 
yet,  blessed  be  His  name,  I  can  resign  myself  and  all  my 
concerns  to  His  disposal,  and  this  is  my  heart's  desire.  Thy 
will  be  done. 

December  ii. — I  seem  reconciled  to  all  before  me,  and 
consider  the  Lord  must  have  some  great  and  wise  purposes 
to  answer  by  suffering  my  affections  to  be  engaged  in  the 
degree  they  are.  If  it  is  only  to  exercise  my  submission 
to  His  will,  and  to  make  me  more  acquainted  with  His 
power  to  support  and  comfort  me,  it  will  be  a  great  end 
answeaed,  and  oh,  may  I  welcome  all  He  appoints  for  this 
purpose.  The  mysteries  of  Providence  are  unfathomable. 
The  event  must  disclose  them,  and  in  this  I  desire  to  make 
up  my  mind  from  henceforth  no  more  to  encourage  the 
least  expectation  of  meeting  my  dear  friend  in  this  world. 
O  Lord,  when  the  desire  is  so  strong,  how  impossible  is  it 
for  me  to  do  this  ;  but  Thou  art  able  to  strengthen  me  for 
it.     Oh,  vouchsafe  the  needful  help. 

December  i6. — I  have  had  many  distressing  feelings 
to-day,  and  struggled  with  my  heart,  which  is  at  times 
rent,  I  may  say,  by  the  reflection  that  I  have  bidden  adieu 
for  ever  in  this  life  to  so  dear  a  friend  ;  but  the  blessed 
employment  the  Lord  has  assisted  me  in,  and  the  thought 
that  he  is  serving  my  blessed  Lord  Jesus,  is  most  conso- 
latory. Oh,  may  I  never  more  seek  to  draw  him  back  from 
the  work.  Lord,  Thou  knowest  all  things,  Thou  knowest 
that  I  would  not  do  this. 

December  26. — Went  early  to  St.  Hilary,  where  I  had 
an  opportunity  of  reading  the  excellent  prayers   of  our 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805   1806         105 

Church.  I  have  been  blest  with  sweet  peace  to-day — a 
solemn  expectation  of  entering  eternity.  I  feel  a  sadness 
of  spirit  at  times  (attended  with  a  calm  resignation  of  mind, 
not  unplcasing)  at  the  remembrance  of  my  friend,  whom 
I  expect  no  more  to  see  till  we  meet  in  heaven.  Oh,  blessed 
hope  that  there  we  shall  meet !  Lord,  keep  us  each  in  the 
narrow  way  that  leads  to  Thee. 

December  31. — The  last  in  1805  — oh,  may  it  prove  the 
most  holy  to  my  soul.  I  am  shut  out  from  the  communion 
of  Thy  saints  in  a  measure ;  oh,  let  me  enjoy  more 
communion  with  my  God.  Thou  knowest  my  secret 
sorrows,  yea,  Thou  dost  calm  them  by  causing  me  to  have 
regard  to  a  future  life  of  bliss  with  Thee,  when  I  shall  sec 
and  adore  the  wisdom  of  Thy  dealings  with  me.  Oh,  my 
idolatrous  heart ! 

These  passages  occur  in  Henry  Martyn'syi7«;'«^/: 

December  4. — Dearest  Lydia  !  never  wilt  thou  cease  to 
be  dear  to  me  ;  still,  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of 
immortal  souls,  is  an  object  for  which  I  can  part  with  thee. 
Let  us  live  then  for  God,  separate  from  one  another,  since 
such  is  His  holy  will.  Hereafter  we  shall  meet  in  a  happier 
region,  and  if  we  shall  have  lived  and  died,  denying  ourselves 
for  God,  triumphant  and  glorious  will  our  meeting  be.  .  .  , 

December  5. — My  mind  has  been  running  on  Lydia, 
and  the  happy  scenes  in  England,  very  much  ;  particularly 
on  that  day  when  I  walked  with  her  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  with  a  wistful  eye  looked  over  the  blue  waves  that 
were  to  bear  me  from  her.  While  walking  the  deck  I 
longed  to  be  left  alone,  that  my  thoughts  might  run  at 
random.  Tender  feelings  on  distant  scenes  do  not  leave 
me  indisposed  for  communion  with  God  ;  that  which  is 
present  to  the  outward  senses  is  the  greatest  plague  to  me. 
Went  among  the  soldiers  in  the  afternoon,  distributing 
oranges  to  those  who  are  scorbutic.  My  heart  was  for  some 
hours  expanding  with  joy  and  love ;  but  I  have  reason  to 


io6  HENRY  MART  YN 

think  that  the  state  of  the  body  has  great  influence  on  the 
frames  and  feehngs  of  the  mind.  Let  the  rock  of  my  con- 
solations be  not  a  variable  feeling,  but  Jesus  Christ  and 
His  righteousness. 

The  fleet  next  touched  at  San  Salvador,  or  Bahia,  from 
which  Henry  Martyn  wrote  to  Mrs.  Hitchins,  his  cousin, 
asking  her  to  send  him  by  Corrie,  who  was  coming  out  as 
chaplain,  'your  profile  and  Cousin  Tom's  and  Lydia's.  If 
she  should  consent  to  it,  I  should  much  wish  for  her  minia- 
ture.' The  request,  when  it  reached  her,  must  have  led  to 
such  passages  in  her  Diary  as  these : 

1806,  February  8. — I  have  passed  some  days  of  pain 
and  weakness,  but  now  am  blessed  again  with  health. 
During  the  whole  of  this  sickness  I  was  afflicted  with  much 
deadness  of  soul,  and  have  had  very  few  thoughts  of  God. 
I  felt,  as  strength  returned,  the  necessity  of  more  earnest 
supplications  for  grace  and  spiritual  life.  I  have  ascertained 
this  sad  truth,  that  my  soul  has  declined  in  spiritual  fervour 
and  liveliness  since  I  have  admitted  an  earthly  object  so 
much  into  my  heart.  Ah !  I  know  I  have  not  power  to 
recall  my  affections,  but  God  can,  and  I  believe  He  will, 
enable  me  to  regulate  them  better.  This  thought  has  been 
of  great  injury  to  me,  as  I  felt  no  murmuring  at  the  will  of 
God,  nor  disposed  to  act  therein  contrary  to  His  \\\\\.  I 
thought  I  might  indulge  secretly  my  affection,  but  it  has 
been  of  vast  disadvantage  to  me.  I  am  now  convinced, 
and  I  do  humbly  (relying  on  strength  from  on  high)  resolve 
no  more  to  yield  to  it.  Oh,  may  my  conversation  be  in 
heaven,  and  the  glories  of  Immanuel  be  all  my  theme. 

February  15. — -I  have  been  much  exercised  yesterday 
and  to-day — walking  in  darkness,  without  light — and  I 
feel  the  truth  of  this  Scripture  :  '  Your  sins  have  separated 
between  you  and  your  God.'  I  have  betrayed  a  most 
unbecoming  impatience  and  warmth  of  temper.     My  dear 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,  1805-1806         107 

absent  friend,  too,  has  been  much  in  my  mind.  How  many 
times  have  I  endured  the  pain  of  bidding  him  farewell ! 
I  would  not  dare  repine.  I  doubt  not  for  a  moment  the 
necessity  of  its  being  as  it  is,  but  the  feelings  of  my  mind 
at  particular  seasons  overwhelm  me.  My  refuge  is  to 
consider  it  is  the  will  of  God.     Thy  will,  my  God,  be  done. 

Henry  Martyn  did  not  lose  a  day  in  discharging  his 
mission  to  the  residents  and  slaves  of  that  part  of  the  coast 
of  Brazil,  in  the  great  commercial  city  and  seat  of  the 
metropolitan.  His  was  the  first  voice  to  proclaim  the  pure 
Gospel  in  South  America  since,  three  hundred  }'ears  before, 
Coligny's  and  Calvin's  missionaries  had  been  there  silenced 
by  Villegagnon,  and  put  to  death.  Martyn  was  frequently 
ashore,  almost  fascinated  by  the  tropical  glories  of  the  coast 
and  the  interior,  and  keenly  interested  in  the  Portuguese 
dons,  the  Franciscan  friars,  and  the  negro  slaves.  After  his 
first  walk  through  the  town  to  the  suburbs,  he  was  looking  for 
a  wood  in  which  he  might  rest,  when  he  found  himself  at  a 
magnificent  porch  leading  to  a  noble  avenue  and  house. 
There  he  was  received  with  exuberant  hospitality  by  the 
Corre  family,  especially  by  the  young  Seiior  Antonio,  who 
had  received  a  University  training  in  Portugal,  and  soon 
learned  to  enjoy  the  society  of  the  Cambridge  clergyman. 
In  his  visits  of  days  to  this  family,  his  exploration  of  the 
immediate  interior  and  the  plantations  of  tapioca  and 
pepper,  introduced  from  Batavia,  and  his  discussions  with 
its  members  and  the  priests  on  Roman  Catholicism,  all 
conducted  in  French  and  Latin,  a  fortnight  passed  rapidly. 
He  was  ever  about  his  Master's  business,  able  in  speaking 
His  message  to  men  and  in  prayer  and  meditation.  '  In  a  cool 
and  shady  part  of  the  garden,  near  some  water,  I  sat  and  sang 
O'er  the  gloomy  hills  of  darkness. 


io8  HEARY  MARTYN 

I  could  read  and  pray  aloud,  as  there  was  no  fear  of  anyone 
understanding  me.     Reading  the  eighty-fourth  Psalm, 

O  how  amiable  are  Thy  tabernacles, 

this  morning  in  the  shade,  the  day  when  I  read  it  last  under 
the  trees  with  Lydia  was  brought  forcibly  to  my  remem- 
brance, and  produced  some  degree  of  melancholy.'  Refreshed 
by  the  hospitality  of  San  Salvador,  he  resumed  the  voyage 
with  new  zeal  for  his  Lord  and  for  his  study  of  such 
authorities  as  Orme's  Indostan  and  Scott's  Dekkatt,  and 
thus  taking  himself  to  task  :  *  I  wish  I  had  a  deeper  con- 
viction of  the  sinfulness  of  sloth.' 

Thus  had  he  taken  possession  of  Brazil,  of  South 
America,  for  Christ.  As  he  walked  through  the  streets, 
where  for  a  long  time  he  'saw  no  one  but  negro  slaves, 
male  and  female ' ;  as  he  passed  churches  in  which  '  they 
were  performing  Mass,'  and  priests  of  all  colours  innu- 
merable, and  ascended  the  battery  which  commanded  a  view 
of  the  whole  bay  of  All  Saints,  he  exclaimed,  '  What  happy 
missionary  shall  be  sent  to  bear  the  name  of  Christ  to  these 
western  regions?  When  shall  this  beautiful  country  be 
delivered  from  idolatry  and  spurious  Christianity  ?  Crosses 
there  are  in  abundance,  but  when  shall  the  doctrine  of  the 
Cross  be  held  up  ? '  In  the  nearly  ninety  years  that  have 
gone  since  that  time,  Brazil  has  ceased  to  belong  to  the 
house  of  Braganza,  slavery  has  been  abolished,  the  agents 
of  the  Evangelical  churches  and  societies  of  the  United 
States  of  America  and  the  Bible  societies  have  been  sent 
in  answer  to  his  prayer  ;  while  down  in  the  far  south  Captain 
Allen  Gardiner,  R.N.,  by  his  death  for  the  savage  people, 
has  brought  about  results  that  extorted  the  admiration  of 
Dr.  Darwin.     As  Martyn  went  back  to  the  ship  for  the  last 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805 -1806         109 

time,  after  a  final  discussion  on  Mariolatry  with  the  Fran- 
ciscans, rowed  by  Lascars  who  kept  the  feast  of  the 
Hijra  with  hymns  to  Mohammed,  and  in  converse  with  a 
fellow-voyager  who  declared  mankind  needed  to  be 
told  nothing  but  to  be  sober  and  honest,  he  cried  to  God 
with  a  deep  sigh  '  to  interfere  in  behalf  of  His  Gospel  ;  for 
in  the  course  of  one  hour  I  had  seen  three  shocking 
examples  of  the  reign  and  power  of  the  devil  in  the  form  of 
Popish  and  Mohammedan  delusion  and  that  of  the  natural 
man.  I  felt,  however,  in  no  way  discouraged,  but  only  saw 
the  necessity  of  dependence  on  God.' 

Why  did  Henry  Martyn's  preaching  and  daily  pastoral 
influence  excite  so  much  opposition  ?  Undoubtedly,  as  we 
shall  see,  both  in  Calcutta  and  Dinapore,  his  Cornish-Celtic 
temperament,  possibly  the  irritability  due  to  the  disease 
under  which  he  was  even  then  suffering,  disabled  him  from 
disarming  opposition,  as  his  friend  Corrie,  for  instance,  after- 
wards always  did.  But  we  must  remember  to  whom  he 
preached  and  what  he  preached,  and  the  time  at  which  he 
preached,  in  the  history  not  only  of  the  Church  of  England, 
but  of  Evangelical  religion.  He  had  himself  been  brought 
out  of  spiritual  darkness  under  the  influence  of  Kempthorne 
and  Charles  Simeon,  by  the  teaching  of  Paul  in  his  letters 
to  the  Roman  and  the  Galatian  converts.  To  him  sin  was 
exceeding  sinful.  The  Pauline  doctrine  of  sin  and  its  one 
remedy  was  the  basis  not  only  of  his  theology,  but  of  his 
personal  experience  and  daily  life.  After  a  brief  ministry 
to  the  villagers  of  Lolworth  and  occasional  sermons  to  his 
fellow  students  in  Cambridge,  this  Senior  Wrangler  and 
Classic,  yet  young  convert,  was  put  in  spiritual  charge  of  a 
British  regiment  and  Indiaman's  crew,  and  was  the  only 
chaplain  in  a  force  of  eight  thousand  soldiers,  some  with 


no  HENRY  MARTYN 

families,  and  many  female  convicts.  At  a  time  when  the 
dead  churches  were  only  beginning  to  wake  up,  after 
the  missions  of  the  Wesleys  and  Whitfield,  of  William 
Carey  and  Simeon,  this  youthful  prophet  was  called  to 
reason  of  temperance,  righteousness,  and  judgment  to 
come,  with  men  who  were  practically  as  pagan  or  as 
sceptical  as  Felix. 

His  second  address  at  sea,  on  September  15,  was  from 
Paul's  sermon  in  the  synagogue  of  Antioch  in  Pisidia 
(Acts  xiii.  38-39) :  Through  this  ui.in  is  preached  unto  you 
thejorgiveness  of  sins  ^  &c}  It  was  a  full  and  free  declaration 
of  God's  love  in  Jesus  Christ  to  sinful  man,  which  he  thus 
describes  in  his  Journal :  'In  the  latter  part  I  was  led 
to  speak  without  preparation  on  the  all-sufficiency  of 
Christ  to  save  sinners  who  came  to  Him  with  all  their  sins 
without  delay.  I  was  carried  away  with  a  Divine  aid  to 
speak  with  freedom  and  energy.  My  soul  was  refreshed, 
and  I  retired  seeing  reason  to  be  thankful ! '  But  the  next 
week's  experience  resulted  in  this  :  '  I  was  more  tried  by 
the  fear  of  man  than  I  have  ever  been  since  God  called  me 
to  the  ministry.  The  threats  and  opposition  of  those  men 
made  me  unwilling  to  set  before  them  the  truths  which  they 
hated  ;  yet  I  had  no  species  of  hesitation  about  doing  it. 
They  had  let  me  know  that  if  I  would  preach  a  sermon 
like  one  of  Blair's  they  should  be  glad  to  hear  it  ;  but  they 
would  not  attend  if  so  much  of  hell  was  preached.' 
Strengthened  by  our  Lord's  promise  of  the  Comforter 
(John  xiv.  16),  he  next  Sunday  took  for  his  text  Psalm  ix. 
1 7  :  The  wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations 
that  forget  God.     He  thus  concluded  : 

'   Twenty  Sermons,  by  the  late  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  B.D.     Fourth  edition 
(from  first  edition  printed  at  Calcutta),  London,  1S22. 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1 805-1 806         11  r 

Pause  awhile,  and  reflect !  Some  of  you,  perhaps,  by 
this  time,  instead  of  making  a  wise  resolve,  have  begun  to 
wonder  that  so  heavy  a  judgment  should  be  denounced 
merely  against  forgetfulness.  But  look  at  the  affairs  of 
common  life,  and  be  taught  by  them.  Do  not  neglect,  and 
want  of  attention,  and  not  looking  about  us  to  see  what  we 
have  to  do — do  not  any  of  these  bring  upon  us  conse- 
quences as  ruinous  to  our  worldly  business  as  any  ACTIVE 
misbehaviour  ?  It  is  an  event  of  every  day,  that  a  man, 
by  mere  laziness  and  inattention  to  his  business,  docs  as 
certainly  bring  himself  and  family  to  poverty,  and  end  his 
days  in  a  gaol,  as  if  he  were,  in  wanton  mischief,  to  set  fire 
to  his  own  house.  So  it  is  also  with  the  affairs  of  the  soul  : 
neglect  of  that — forgetfulness  of  God,  who  only  can  save 
it — will  work  his  ruin,  as  surely  as  a  long  and  daring  course 
of  profligate  wickedness. 

When  any  one  has  been  recollecting  the  proper  proofs 
of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  nothing, 
methinks,  can  give  him  so  sensible  an  apprehension  of 
punishment  or  such  a  representation  of  it  to  the  mind,  as 
observing  that,  after  the  many  disregarded  checks,  admo- 
nitions, and  warnings  which  people  meet  with  in  the  ways 
of  vice,  folly,  and  extravagance — warnings  from  their  very 
nature,  from  the  examples  of  others,  from  the  lesser  incon- 
veniences which  they  bring  upon  themselves,  from  the 
instructions  of  wise  and  good  men — after  these  have  been 
long  despised,  scorned,  ridiculed — after  the  chief  bad  con- 
sequences (temporal  consequences)  of  their  follies  have 
been  delayed  for  a  great  while,  at  length  they  break  in 
irresistibly  like  an  armed  force :  repentance  is  too  late  to 
relieve,  and  can  serve  only  to  aggravate  their  distress  :  the 
case  is  become  desperate  ;  and  poverty  and  sickness,  re- 
morse and  anguish,  infamy  and  death,  the  effects  of  their 
own  doings,  overwhelm  them  beyond  possibility  of  remedy 
or  escape.  This  is  an  account  of  what  is,  in  fact,  the 
general  constitution  of  Nature. 


1 1 2  HENR  Y  MARTYN 

But  is  the  forgetfulness  of  God  so  light  a  matter  ? 
Think  what  ingratitude,  rebellion,  and  atheism  there  is  at 
the  bottom  of  it !  Sirs,  you  have  *  a  carnal  mind,  which  is 
enmity  against  God.'  (Rom.  viii.  7.)  Do  not  suppose 
that  you  have  but  to  make  a  slight  effort,  and  you  will 
cease  to  forget  Him  :  it  is  your  nature  to  forget  Him  :  it 
is  your  nature  to  hate  Him  :  so  that  nothing  less  than  an 
entire  change  of  heart  and  nature  will  ever  deliver  you 
from  this  state  of  enmity.  Our  nature  '  is  not  subject  to 
the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  They  that  are  in 
the  flesh  cannot  please  God.'  (Rom.  viii.  7,  8.)  From  this 
state  let  the  fearful  menace  in  the  text  persuade  you  to 
arise !  Need  we  remind  you  again  of  the  dreadfulness  of 
hell — of  the  certainty  that  it  shall  overtake  the  impenitent 
sinner  ?  Enough  has  been  said  ;  and  can  any  of  you  be 
still  so  hardened,  and  such  enemies  to  your  souls,  as  still 
to  cleave  to  sin  .''  Will  you  still  venture  to  continue  any 
more  in  the  hazard  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  God  ? 
Alas  !  '  Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire  .-* 
Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings  ? ' 
(Isa.  xxxiii.  14.)  '  Can  thine  heart  endure,  or  can  thine 
hands  be  strong,  in  the  days  that  I  shall  deal  with  thee? 
I  the  Lord  have  spoken  it,  and  will  do  it  ! '  (Ezek.  xxii. 
14.)  Observe,  that  men  have  dealt  with  sinners — ministers 
have  dealt  with  them — apostles,  prophets,  and  angels  have 
dealt  with  them :  at  last,  God  will  take  them  in  hand,  and 
deal  with  them !  Though  not  so  daring  as  to  defy  God, 
yet,  brethren,  in  all  probability  you  put  off  repentance. 
Will  you  securely  walk  a  little  longer  along  the  brink  of 
the  burning  furnace  of  the  Almighty's  fury  ?  *  As  the 
Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul  liveth,  there  is  but  a  step 
between  thee  and  death  ! '  (i  Sam.  xx.  3.)  When  you 
lie  down  you  know  not  but  you  may  be  in  it  before  the 
morning ;  and  when  you  rise  you  know  not  but  God  may 
say,  '  Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of 
thee  ! '     When  once  the  word  is  given  to  cut  you  down. 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805-1806        113 

the  business  is  over.  You  are  cut  off  from  your  lying 
refuges  and  beloved  sins — from  the  world — ^from  your 
friends — from  the  light — from  happiness  -  from  hope,  for 
ever!  Be  wise,  then,  my  friends,  and  reasonable:  give 
neither  sleep  to  your  eyes,  nor  slumber  to  your  eyelids,  till 
you  have  resolved,  on  your  knees  before  God,  to  forget 
Him  no  more.  Go  home  and  pray.  Do  not  dare  to  fly, 
as  it  were,  in  the  face  of  your  Maker,  by  seeking  your 
pleasure  on  His  holy  day  ;  but  if  you  are  alarmed  at  this 
subject,  as  well  you  may  be,  go  and  pray  to  God  that  you 
may  forget  Him  no  more.  It  is  high  time  to  awake  out  of 
sleep.  It  is  high  time  to  have  done  with  hesitation  :  time 
does  not  wait  for  you  ;  nor  will  God  wait  till  you  are 
pleased  to  turn.  He  hath  bent  His  bow,  and  made  it 
ready:  halt  no  more  between  two  opinions  :  hasten — tarry 
not  in  all  the  plain,  but  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Pray 
for  grace,  without  which  you  can  do  nothing.  Pray  for 
the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  of  your  own  danger  and 
helplessness,  without  which  you  cannot  know  what  it  is  to 
find  refuge  in  Him.  It  is  not  our  design  to  terrify,  without 
pointing  out  the  means  of  safety.  Let  us  then  observe, 
that  if  it  should  have  pleased  God  to  awaken  any  of  you 
to  a  sense  of  your  danger,  you  should  beware  of  betaking 
yourselves  to  a  refuge  of  lies. 

But,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  many  among  us  have 
found  repentance  unto  life — have  fled  for  refuge  to  the 
hope  set  before  them — have  seen  their  danger,  and  fled  to 
Christ.  Think  with  yourselves  what  it  is  now  to  have 
escaped  destruction  ;  what  it  will  be  to  hear  at  the  last  day 
our  acquittal,  when  it  shall  be  said  to  others,  '  Depart  from 
Me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire.'  Let  the  sense  of  the 
mercy  of  God  gild  all  the  path  of  life.  On  the  other  hand, 
since  it  is  they  who  forget  God  that  are  to  bear  the  weight 
of  His  wrath,  let  us  beware,  brethren,  how  we  forget  Him, 
through  concern  about  this  world,  or  through  unbelief,  or 
through  sloth.     Let  us  be  punctual  in  all  our  engagements 

I 


114  HENRY  MARTYN 

with  Him.  With  earnest  attention  and  holy  awe  ought  we 
to  hear  His  voice,  cherish  the  sense  of  His  presence,  and 
perform  the  duties  of  His  worship.  No  covenant  relation 
or  Gospel  grace  can  render  Him  less  holy,  less  jealous,  or 
less  majestic.  '  Wherefore  let  us  have  grace,  whereby  we 
may  serve  God  acceptably,  with  reverence  and  godly  fear ; 
for  our  God  is  a  consuming  fire.' 

The  officers  had  seated  themselves  behind  the  preacher, 
that  they  might  retire  in  case  of  dislike,  and  one  of  them 
employed  himself  in  feeding  the  geese  ;  so  it  had  happened 
in  the  case  of  the  missionary  Paul,  and  Martyn  wrote  :  'God, 
I  trust,  blessed  the  sermon  to  the  good  of  many.  Some  of 
the  cadets  and  soldiers  were  in  tears.'  The  complement' 
of  this  truth  he  soon  after  displayed  to  them  in  his  sermon 
on  the  message  through  Ezekiel  xxxiii.  ii.  As  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the 
wicked. 

Men  have  been  found  in  all  ages  who  have  vented 
their  murmurs  against  God  for  the  severity  of  His  final 
punishment,  as  well  as  for  the  painful  continuance  of  His 
judgments  upon  them  in  this  life,  saying,  '  If  our  state  be 
so  full  of  guilt  and  misery  as  is  represented,  and  God  is 
determined  to  avenge  Himself  upon  us,  be  it  so  ;  then 
we  must  take  the  consequences.'  If  God  were  to  reply  to 
this  impious  complaint  only  by  silence ;  if  He  were  to 
suffer  the  gloom  of  their  hearts  to  thicken  into  tenfold 
darkness,  and  give  them  up  to  their  own  malignity,  till  they 
died  victims  to  their  own  impiety  and  despair,  the  Lord 
would  still  be  righteous,  they  would  then  only  eat  of  the 
fruit  of  their  doings.  But,  behold,  the  Lord  gives  a  very 
unexpected  message,  with  which  He  bids  us  to  follow  men, 

'  Five  Sermons  (never  before  published),  by  the  late  Rev.  Henry 
Martyn,  B.D.,  with  a  prefatory  letter  on  missionary  enterprise,  by  the  Rev. 
G.  T.  Fox,  M.A.,  London,  1802. 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1 805-1806         115 

to  interrupt  their  sad  soliloquies,  to  stop  their  murmurs. 
*  Say  unto  them,'  saith  He,  'As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God, 
I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  the 
wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live.  Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  from 
your  evil  ways  ;  for  why  will  ye  die  ? ' 

Behold  the  inseparable  connexion — we  must  turn,  or 
die.  Here  there  is  a  question  put  by  God  to  sinners.  Let 
sinners  then  answer  the  question  which  God  puts  to  them, 
— '  Why  will  ye  die  ? '  Is  death  a  motive  not  strong 
enough  to  induce  you  to  forego  a  momentary  pleasure  t 
Is  it  a  light  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God  ? 
Is  a  life  of  godliness  so  very  intolerable  as  not  to  be  repaid 
by  heavenly  glory  ?  Turn  ye  at  His  reproof — '  Why  will 
ye  die  ? '  Is  it  because  there  is  no  hope  }  God  has  this 
very  hour  testified  with  an  oath  that  it  is  His  desire  to  save 
you.  Yea,  He  at  this  moment  expostulates  with  you  and 
beseeches  you  to  seek  Him.  '  Why  will  ye  die?'  You 
know  not  why.  If,  then,  you  are  constrained — now  accus- 
tomed as  you  are  to  self-vindication — to  acknowledge  your 
unreasonableness,  how  much  more  will  you  be  speechless 
in  the  last  day  when  madness  will  admit  of  no  palliation, 
and  folly  will  appear  without  disguise  ! 

Are  any  returned  to  God  ?  Do  any  believe  they  are 
really  returned  .'' — then  here  they  have  consolation.  It  is 
a  long  time  before  we  lose  our  slavish  dread  of  God,  for 
our  natural  prejudices  and  mistakes  become  inveterate  by 
habit,  and  Satan  opposes  the  removal  of  them.  But  come 
now,  and  let  us  reason  together.  Will  ye  also  dishonour 
your  God  by  accounting  Him  more  willing  to  destroy  than 
to  save  you  .-'  Willyz  think  hardly  of  God  ?  Oh,  that  I  had 
been  able  to  describe  as  it  deserves,  His  willingness  to  save! 
Oh,  that  I  could  have  borrowed  the  pen  of  a  seraph,  and 
dipped  it  in  a  fount  of  light  1  Could  plainer  words  be  needed 
to  describe  the  wonders  of  His  love  .-*  Hearken,  my  be- 
loved brethren  !  Hath  He  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the 
wicked,  and  will  He  take  pleasure  in  yours  ?     Hath  He 

I  2 


ii6  HENRY  MARTYN 

promised  His  love,  His  tenderness  to  those  who  turn  from 
their  wicked  ways,  and  yet,  when  they  are  turned, 
straightway  forgot  His  promise?  Harbour  no  more  fearful, 
unbeh'eving  thoughts.  But  the  reply  is  often  that  the  fear 
is  not  of  God,  but  of  myself,  lest  I  have  not  turned  away 
from  my  evil  ways.  But  this  point  may  surely  be  ascer- 
tained, brethren  ;  and  if  it  may,  any  further  refinements 
on  this  subject  are  derogatory  to  God's  honour.  Let  these 
words  convince  you  that,  if  you  are  willing  to  be  saved  in 
His  way.  He  is  willing  to  save  you.  It  may  be  you  will 
still  be  kept  in  darkness,  but  darkness  is  not  always  the 
frown  of  God  ;  it  is  only  Himself — thy  shade  on  thy  right 
hand.  Then  tremble  not  at  the  hand  that  wipes  away  thy 
tears  ;  judge  Him  not  by  feeble  sense,  but  follow  Him, 
though  He  lead  thee  by  a  way  that  thou  knewest  not. 

There  are  some  of  you  who  have  reason  to  hope  that 
you  have  turned  from  the  error  of  your  ways.  Ye  have 
tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious.  It  is  but  a  taste,  a  fore- 
taste, an  antepast  of  the  feast  of  heaven.  It  was  His 
pleasure  that  you  should  turn  from  your  ways  ;  it  is  also 
His  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.  Then  what 
shall  we  recommend  to  you,  but  gratitude,  admiration,  and 
praise  .-*  '  Praise  the  Lord,  O  Jerusalem  ;  praise  thy  God, 
O  Zion.'  Let  each  of  us  abundantly  utter  the  memory  of 
His  great  goodness,  and  sing  aloud  of  His  righteousness. 
Let  each  say,  '  Awake,  lute  and  harp  ;  I  myself  will  awake 
right  early.'  Let  us  join  the  chorus  of  angels,  and  all  the 
redeemed,  in  praising  the  riches  of  His  love  in  His  kindness 
towards  us  through  Christ  Jesus. 

As  the  fleet  sailed  from  San  Salvador,  the  captains  were 
summoned  to  the  commodore,  to  learn  that  Cape  Town 
and  the  Dutch  settlement  formed  the  object  of  the  expedi- 
tion, and  that  stout  resistance  was  expected.  This  gave 
new  zeal  to  the  chaplain,  were  that  possible,  in  his  dealings 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805- 1806         117 

with  the  officers  and  men  of  his  Majesty's  59th,  and  with 
the  cadets,  to  whom  he  taught  mathematics  in  his  un- 
rewarded friendliness.  Many  were  down  with  dysentery, 
then  and  long  a  peculiarly  fatal  disease  till  the  use  of 
ipecacuanha.  His  constant  service  made  him  also  for  some 
time  a  sufferer. 

1805,  December  29.  (Sunday.) — My  beloved  spake  and 
said  unto  me,  Rise  up,  &c.  (Cant.  ii.  10,  11).  Ah!  why  can- 
not I  rise  and  go  forth  and  meet  my  Lord  }  Every  hind- 
rance is  removed  :  the  wrath  of  God,  the  guilt  of  sin,  and 
severity  of  affliction  ;  there  is  nothing  now  in  the  world 
that  has  any  strong  hold  of  my  affections.  Separated 
from  my  friends  and  country  for  ever  in  this  life,  I  have 
nothing  to  distract  me  from  hearing  the  voice  of  my 
beloved,  and  coming  away  from  this  world  and  walking 
with  Him  in  love,  amidst  the  flowers  that  perfume  the 
air  of  Paradise,  and  the  harmony  of  the  happy  spirits 
who  are  singing  His  praise.  But  alas  !  my  heart  is  cold 
and  slothful.  Preached  on  2  Peter  iii.  11,  taking  notice  at 
the  end  of  these  remarkable  circumstances,  that  made  the 
text  particularly  applicable  to  us.  It  was  the  last  Sabbath 
of  a  year,  which  had  been  memorable  to  us  from  our 
having  left  our  country,  and  passed  through  many  dangers. 
Secondly,  within  a  few  days  they  were  to  meet  an  enemy 
on  the  field  of  battle.  Thirdly,  the  death  of  the  captain. 
I  was  enabled  to  be  self-collected,  and  in  some  degree 
tender.  There  was  a  great  impression  ;  many  were  in 
tears.  Visited  and  conversed  with  Mr.  M.  twice  to-day, 
and  marked  some  passages  for  him  to  read.  His  heart 
seems  tender.  There  was  a  considerable  number  on 
the  orlop  in  the  afternoon.  Expounded  Matt.  xix.  and 
prayed.  In  the  evening  Major  Davidson  and  M'Kenzie 
came  to  my  cabin,  and  stayed  nearly  three  hours.  I  read 
Romans  vi.  and  vii.,  and  explained  those  difficult  chapters 


1 1 8  HENR  V  MARTYN 

as  well  as  I  could,  so  that  the  Major,  I  hope,  received  a 
greater  insight  into  them  ;  afterwards  I  prayed  with  them. 
But  my  own  soul  after  these  ministrations  seemed  to  have 
received  harm  rather  than  good.  It  was  an  awful  reflection 
that  Judas  was  a  preacher,  perhaps  a  successful  one.  Oh, 
let  my  soul  tremble,  lest,  after  preaching  to  others,  I  myself 
should  be  a  castaway. 

1806.  January  4. —  Continued    to,  approach  the  land  ; 
about  sunset  the  fleet  came  to  an  anchor  between  Robben 
Island  and  the  land  on  that  side,  farthest  from  Cape  Town, 
and  a  signal  was  immediately  given  for  the  59th  Regiment 
to   prepare   to   land.       Our   men    were   soon    ready,   and 
received   thirty-six  rounds  of  ball  cartridge  ;    before  the 
three  boats  were  lowered  down  and  fitted,  it  was  two  in 
the  morning.     I  stayed  up  to  see  them  off;  it  was  a  melan- 
choly scene  ;  the  privates  were  keeping  up  their  spirits  by 
affecting  to  joke  about  the  approach  of  danger,  and  the 
ladies  sitting  in  the  cold  night  upon  the  grating  of  the 
after-hatchway  overwhelmed  with  grief;   the  cadets,  with 
M'Kenzie,  who  is  one  of  their  officers,  all  went  on  board 
the  Duchess  of  Gordon,  the   general    rendezvous  of  the 
company's  troops.     I  could  get  to  speak  to  none  of  my 
people,  but  Corporals  B.  and  B.     I  said  to  Sergeant  G., 
'  It  is  now  high  time  to  be  decided  in  religion,'  he  replied 
with  a  sigh  ;  to  Captain  S.  and  the  cadets  I  endeavoured 
to  speak  in  a  general  way.     I  this  day  signed  my  name 
as  a  witness  to  Captain  O.'s  and  Major  Davidson's  wills  ; 
Captain  O.  left  his  with  me ;  I  passed  my  time  at  intervals 
in    writing    for   to-morrow.      The  interest    I    felt   in    the 
outward  scene  distracted  me  very  much  from  the  things 
which  are  not  seen,  and  all    I    could    do    in    prayer   was 
to  strive  against  this  spirit.     But  with  what  horror  should 
I  reflect  on  the  motions  of  sins  within  me,  which  tempted 
me   to   wish   for   bloodshed,  as  something   gratifying  by 
its  sublimity.     My  spirit  would  be  overwhelmed  by  such 
a  consciousness  of  depravity,  but   that  I    can    pray  still 


THE  NINE   MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805-1806         119 

deliberately  against  sin  ;  and  often  the  Lord  manifested  His 
power  by  making  the  same  sinful  soul  to  feel  a  longing 
desire  that  the  blessed  gospel  of  peace  might  soothe 
the  spirits  of  men,  and  make  them  all  live  together  in 
harmony  and  love  Yet  the  principle  within  me  may  well 
fill  me  with  shame  and  sorrow. 

Since,  on  April  9,  1652,  Johan  Anthonie  van  Riebeck 
by  proclamation  took  formal  possession  of  the  Cape  for 
the  Netherlands  East  India  Company,  'providing  that  the 
natives  should  be  kindly  treated,' '  the  Dutch  had  governed 
South  Africa  for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  The  natives 
had  been  outraged  by  the  Boers,  the  Moravian  missionaries 
had  departed,  the  colony  had  been  starved,  and  yet  denied 
the  rudiments  of  autonomy.  The  French  Revolution 
changed  all  that,  and  very  much  else.  The  Stadtholder  of 
the  United  Provinces  having  allied  himself  with  Great 
Britain,  Dumouriez  entered  Holland,  and  Pichegru  marched 
the  armies  of  France  over  its  frozen  waters  in  the  terrible 
winter  of  1794-5.  To  protect  the  trade  with  India  from 
the  French,  Admiral  Elphinstone  thereupon  took  posses- 
sion of  the  Cape,  which  was  administered  successively  by 
General  J.  H.  Craig,  the  Earl  of  Macartney,  Sir  George 
Young,  and  Sir  Francis  Dundas,  for  seven  prosperous 
years,  until  the  Treaty  of  Amiens  restored  it  to  the  Batavian 
Republic  in  February  1803.  It  was  then  a  territory  of 
120,000  square  miles,  reaching  from  the  Cape  to  a  curved 
line  which  extended  from  the  mouth  of  the  Buffalo  River 
in  Little  Namaqualand  to  the  present  village  of  Colesberg. 
The  Great  Fish  River  was  the  eastern  boundary.  Now 
the    Christian  colonies  and  settlements   of  South  Africa, 

'  George  M.  Theal's  Sotdh  African  History,  Lovedale  Institution  Press, 
1873- 


I20  HENRY  MARTYN 

enjoying  British  sovereignty  and  largely  under  self-governing 
institutions,  stretch  north  from  the  sea,  and  east  and  west 
from  ocean  to  ocean,  to  the  great  river  Zambesi — the  base 
from  which  Christian  civilisation,  by  missions  and  chartered 
companies,  is  slowly  penetrating  the  explored  wilds  of 
Central  Africa  up  the  lake  region  to  the  Soudan  and 
Ethiopia. 

This  less  than  a  century's  progress  has  been  made 
possible  by  the  expedition  of  1806,  in  which  Henry 
Martyn,  almost  alone,  represented  Christianity.  After  the 
three  years'  respite  given  by  the  virtual  armistice  of  Amiens, 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  again  plunged  Europe  and  the  world 
into  war.  William  Pitt's  last  government  sent  out  this 
naval  armament  under  Sir  Home  Popham.  The  5,000 
troops  were  commanded  by  Sir  David  Baird,  who  had 
fought  and  suffered  in  India  when  the  senior  of  the  future 
Duke  of  Wellington.  Henry  Martyn  has  told  us  how  the 
squadron  of  the  sixty-three  sail  had  anchored  between 
Robben  Island  and  the  coast.  The  Dutch  Governor, 
General  Jan  Willen  Janssens,  was  more  worthy  of  his  trust 
than  his  predecessor  ten  years  before.  He  had  been  com- 
pelled to  send  on  a  large  portion  of  his  force  for  the  defence 
of  Java,  soon  to  fall  to  Lord  Minto,  the  Governor-General, 
and  had  only  2,000  troops  left.  He  had  received  only  a 
fortnight's  notice  of  the  approach  of  the  British  fleet, 
which  was  reported  by  an  xA.merican  vessel.  He  drilled 
the  colonists,  he  called  French  marines  to  his  aid,  he 
organised  Malay  artillery,  he  embodied  even  Hottentot 
sepoys,  and  made  a  reserve  and  refuge  of  Hottentot's 
Holland,  from  which  he  hoped  to  starve  Cape  Town,  should 
Baird  capture  it  Both  armies  were  equal  in  numbers  at 
least. 


THE  NINE   MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805-1806         121 

All  was  in. vain.  On  January  8  was  fought  the  battle 
of  Blaauwberg  (on  the  side  of  Table  Bay  opposite  Cape 
Town),  from  the  plateau  of  which  the  Dutch,  having  stood 
the  musketry  and  field  pieces,  fled  at  the  charge  of  the 
bayonet  with  a  loss  of  700  men.  The  British,  having 
dropped  2 1 2,  marched  on  Cape  Town,  halted  at  Papendorp, 
and  there,  on  January  10,  1806,  were  signed  the  articles  of 
capitulation  which  have  ever  since  given  the  Roman-Dutch 
law  to  the  colony.  Sir  David  Baird  and  Sir  Home  Popham 
soon  after  received  the  surrender  of  Janssens,  whose  troops 
were  granted  all  the  honours  of  war  in  consideration  of 
their  gallant  conduct.  At  the  Congress  of  Vienna  in  1 81 5 
Lord  Castlereagh  sacrificed  Java  to  the  Dutch,  but  kept 
South  Africa  for  Great  Britain.  The  surrender  of  the 
former,  in  the  midst  of  the  splendid  successes  of  Sir 
Stamford  Raffles,  is  ascribed  to  that  minister's  ignorance  of 
geography.  He  knew  equally  little  of  the  Cape,  which  he 
kept,  beyond  its  importance  to  India,  but  God  has  overruled 
all  that  for  the  good  of  Equatorial,  as  well  as  South,  Africa, . 
as,  thanks  to  David  Livingstone,  vacillating  statesmen  have 
begun  to  see. 

Henry  MdiVtyn's  Journal  thus  describes  the  battle  and 
the  battlefield. 

1806,  January. — Ten  o'clock.  When  I  got  up,  the 
army  had  left  the  shore,  except  the  Company's  troops, 
who  remained  to  guard  the  landing-place  ;  but  soon  after 
seven  a  most  tremendous  fire  of  artillery  began  behind  a 
mountain  abreast  of  the  ship  ;  it  seemed  as  if  the  mountain 
itself  were  torn  by  intestine  convulsions.  The  smoke  rose 
from  a  lesser  eminence  on  the  right  of  the  hill,  and  on  the 
top  of  it  troops  were  seen  rushing  down  the  farther  declivity  ; 
then  came   such    a  long  drawn  fire  of  musketry,  that   I 


122  HENRY  MARTVN 

could  not  have  conceived  anything  Hke  it.  We  all  shud- 
dered at  considering  what  a  multitude  of  souls  must  be 
passing  into  eternity.  The  poor  ladies  were  in  a  dreadful 
condition,  every  peal  seemed  to  go  through  their  hearts ;  I 
have  just  been  endeavouring  to  do  what  I  can  to  keep  up 
their  spirits.  The  sound  is  now  retiring,  and  the  enemy 
are  seen  retreating  along  the  low  ground  on  the  right 
towards  the  town.  Soon  after  writing  this  I  went  ashore 
and  saw  M'K.,  &c.,  and  Cecil,  with  whom  I  had  an  agreeable 
conversation  on  Divine  things.  The  cadets  of  our  ship 
had  erected  a  little  shed  made  of  bushes  and  straw,  and 
here,  at  their  desire,  I  partook  of  their  cheer.  Three  High- 
landers came  to  the  lines  just  as  I  arrived,  all  wounded  in 
the  hand.  In  consequence  of  their  report  of  the  number 
of  the  wounded,  a  party  of  East  India  troops,  with  slings 
and  barrows,  attended  by  a  body  of  cadets  with  arms, 
under  Major  Lumsden,  were  ordered  to  march  to  the  field 
of  battle. 

I  attached  myself  to  these,  and  marched  six  miles  through 
the  soft  burning  sand  with  them.  The  first  we  came  to  was 
a  Highlander,  who  had  been  shot  through  the  thigh,  and 
had  walked  some  way  from  the  field  and  lay  spent  under 
some  bushes.  He  was  taken  care  of  and  we  went  on,  and 
passed  the  whole  of  the  larger  hill  without  seeing  anything. 
The  ground  then  opened  into  a  most  extensive  plain,  which 
extended  from  the  sea  to  the  blue  mountains  at  a  great 
distance  on  the  east.  On  the  right  was  the  little  hill,  to 
which  we  were  attracted  by  seeing  some  English  soldiers  ; 
we  found  that  they  were  some  wounded  men  of  the  24th. 
They  had  all  been  taken  care  of  by  the  surgeons  of  the 
Staff.  Three  were  mortally  wounded.  One,  who  was 
shot  through  the  lungs,  was  spitting  blood,  and  yet  very 
sensible.  The  surgeon  desired  me  to  spread  a  great-coat 
over  him  as  they  left  him  ;  as  I  did  this,  I  talked  to  him  a 
little  of  the  blessed  Gospel,  and  begged  him  to  cry  for 
mercy  through  Jesus  Christ.     The  poor  man  feebly  turned 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,   1805-1806        123 

his  head  in  some  surprise,  but  took  no  further  notice.  I 
was  sorry  to  be  obHged  to  leave  him  and  go  on  after  the 
troops,  from  whom  I  was  not  allowed  to  be  absent,  out  of 
a  regard  to  my  safety.  On  the  top  of  the  little  hill  lay 
Captain  F.,  of  the  grenadiers  of  the  same  regiment,  dead, 
shot  by  a  ball  entering  his  neck  and  passing  into  his 
head.  I  shuddered  with  horror  at  the  sight ;  his  face  and 
bosom  were  covered  with  thick  blood,  and  his  limbs  rigid 
and  contracted  as  if  he  had  died  in  great  agony.  Near 
him  were  several  others  dead,  picked  off  by  the  riflemen  of 
the  enemy.  We  then  descended  into  the  plain  where  the 
two  armies  had  been  drawn  up. 

A  marine  of  the  Belliqueuse  gave  me  a  full  account  of 
the  position  of  the  armies  and  particulars  of  the  battle.  We 
soon  met  with  some  of  the  59th,  one  a  corporal,  who  often 
joins  us  in  singing,  and  who  gave  the  pleasing  intelligence 
that  the  regiment  had  escaped  unhurt,  except  Captain 
McPherson.  In  the  rear  of  the  enemy's  army  there  were 
some  farm-houses,  which  we  had  converted  into  a  receptacle 
for  the  sick,  and  in  which  there  were  already  two  hundred, 
chiefly  English,  with  a  few  of  the  enemy.  Here  I  entered, 
and  found  that  six  officers  were  wounded  ;  but  as  the 
surgeon  said  they  should  not  be  disturbed,  I  did  not  go  in, 
especially  as  they  were  not  dangerously  wounded.  In  one 
room  I  found  a  Dutch  captain  wounded,  with  whom  I  had 
a  good  deal  of  conversation  in  French.  After  a  few 
questions  about  the  army  and  the  Cape,  I  could  not  help 
inquiring  about  Dr.  Vanderkemp  ;  he  said  he  had  seen 
him,  but  believed  he  was  not  at  the  Cape,  nor  knew  how 
I  might  hear  of  him.  The  spectacle  at  these  houses  was 
horrid.  The  wounded  soldiers  lay  ranged  within  and 
without  covered  with  blood  and  gore.  While  the  India 
troops  remained  here,  I  walked  out  into  the  field  of  battle 
with  the  surgeon.  On  the  right  wing,  where  they  had  been 
attacked  by  the  Highland  regiment,  the  dead  and  wounded 
seemed  to  have  been  strewed  in  great  numbers,  from  the 


124  HENRY  MARTYN 

knapsacks,  &c.  Some  of  them  were  still  remaining;  with 
a  Frenchman  whom  I  found  amongst  them  I  had  some 
conversation.  All  whom  we  approached  cried  out  in- 
stantly for  water.  One  poor  Hottentot  I  asked  about  Dr. 
Vanderkemp,  I  saw  by  his  manner  that  he  knew  him  :  he  lay 
with  extraordinary  patience  under  his  wound  on  the  burning 
sand  ;  I  did  what  I  could  to  make  his  position  comfortable, 
and  laid  near  him  some  bread,  which  I  found  on  the 
ground.  Another  Hottentot  lay  struggling  with  his  mouth 
in  the  dust,  and  the  blood  flowing  out  of  it,  cursing  the 
Dutch  in  English,  in  the  most  horrid  language  ;  I  told 
him  he  should  rather  forgive  them,  and  asked  him  about 
God,  and  after  telling  him  of  the  Gospel,  begged  he  would 
pray  to  Jesus  Christ ;  but  he  did  not  attend.  While  the 
surgeon  went  back  to  get  his  instrument  in  hopes  of  saving 
the  man's  life,  a  Highland  soldier  came  up,  and  asked  me 
in  a  rough  tone,  '  Who  are  you  ?  '  I  told  him,  '  An  English- 
man ;'  he  said,  '  No,  no,  you  are  French,'  and  was  going  to 
present  his  musket.  As  I  saw  he  was  rather  intoxicated, 
and  might  in  mere  wantonness  fire,  I  went  up  to  him  and 
told  him  that  if  he  liked  he  might  take  me  prisoner  to  the 
English  army,  but  that  I  was  certainly  an  English  clergy- 
man. The  man  was  pacified  at  last.  The  surgeon  on  his 
return  found  the  thigh  bone  of  the  poor  Hottentot  broken, 
and  therefore  left  him  to  die.  After  this  I  found  an 
opportunity  of  retiring,  and  lay  down  among  the  bushes, 
and  lifted  up  my  soul  to  God.  I  cast  my  eyes  over  the 
plain  which  a  few  hours  before  had  been  the  scene  of 
bloodshed  and  death,  and  mourned  over  the  dreadful  effects 
of  sin.  How  reviving  to  my  thoughts  were  the  blue 
mountains  on  the  east,  where  I  conceived  the  missionaries 
labouring  to  spread  the  Gospel  of  peace  and  love. 

At  sunrise  on  the  loth,  a  gun  from  the  commodore's 
ship  was  instantly  answered  by  all  the  men-of-war,  as  the 
Briti.sh  flag  was  seen  flying  on  the  Dutch  fort.     The  future 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805-1806         125 

historian  of  the  Christianisation  of  Africa  will  not  fail  to 
put  in  the  forefront,  at  the  same  time,  the  scene  of  Henry 
Martyn,  on  his  knees,  taking  possession  of  the  land,  and  of 
all  lands,  for  Christ. 

I  could  find  it  more  agreeable  to  my  own  feelings  to 
go  and  weep  with  t"he  relatives  of  the  men  whom  the 
English  have  killed,  than  to  rejoice  at  the  laurels  they 
have  won.  I  had  a  happy  season  in  prayer.  No  outward 
scene  seemed  to  have  power  to  distract  my  thoughts.  I 
prayed  that  the  capture  of  the  Cape  might  be  ordered  to 
the  advancement  of  Christ's  kingdom  ;  and  that  England, 
while  she  sent  the  thunder  of  her  arms  to  the  distant 
regions  of  the  globe,  might  not  remain  proud  and  ungodly 
at  home  ;  but  might  show  herself  great  indeed,  by  sending 
forth  the  ministers  of  her  Church  to  diffuse  the  gospel  of 
peace. 

Thus  on  Africa,  as  on  South  America,  North  India, 
Persia  and  Turkey,  is  written  the  name  of  Henry  Martyn. 

The  previous  government  of  the  Cape  by  the  British, 
under  Sir  Francis  Dundas,  had  been  marked  by  the  arrival, 
in  1799,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society's  agents.  Dr. 
Vanderkemp  and  Kicherer.  With  the  great  chief  Ngqika, 
afterwards  at  Graaff  Reinet  and  then  near  Algoa  Bay,  the 
quondam  Dutch  officer,  Edinburgh  medical  student,  and 
aged  landed  proprietor,  giving  his  all  to  Christ,  had 
gathered  in  many  converts.  Martyn,  who  had  learned 
to  admire  Vanderkemp  from  his  books,  was  even  more 
delighted  with  the  venerable  man.  Driven  by  the  Boers 
into  Cape  Town,  the  old  missionary,  and  Mr.  Reid,  his 
colleague,  were  found  in  the  midst  of  their  daily  services 
with  the  Hottentots  and  Kafirs.  In  such  society,  wor- 
shipping through  the  Dutch  language,  the  India  chaplain 


126  HENRY  MARTYN 

spent  the  greater  part  of  the  five  weeks'  detention  of  the 
Union.  '  Dear  Dr.  Vanderkemp  gave  me  a  Syriac  Testa- 
ment as  a  remembrance  of  him.'  When  Martyn  and  Reid 
parted,  the  latter  for  Algoa  Bay,  '  we  spoke  again  of  the 
excellency  of  the  missionary  work.  The  last  time  I  had 
stood  on  the  shore  with  a  friend  speaking  on  the  same 
subject,  was  with  Lydia,  at  Marazion.'  In  Isaiah,  and 
teighton,  especially  his  Rules  for  a  Holy  Life^  the  mis- 
sionary chaplain  found  comfort  and  stimulus. 

February  5,  1806.— I  am  born  for  God  only.  Christ  is 
nearer  to  me  than  father,  or  mother,  or  sister, — a  nearer 
relation,  a  more  affectionate  friend  ;  and  I  rejoice  to  follow 
Him,  and  to  love  Him.  Blessed  Jesus  !  Thou  art  all  I  want 
-—a  forerunner  to  me  in  all  I  ever  shall  go  through,  as  a 
Christian,  a  minister,  or  a  missionary. 

February  13. — After  breakfast  had  a  solemn  season  in 
prayer,  with  the  same  impressions  as  yesterday,  from 
Leighton,  and  tried  to  give  up  myself  wholly  to  God,  not 
only  to  be  resigned  solely  to  His  will,  but  to  seek  my  only 
pleasure  from  it,  to  depart  altogether  from  the  world,  and 
be  exactly  the  same  in  happiness,  whether  painful  or 
pleasing  dispensations  were  appointed  me  :  I  endeavoured 
to  realise  again  the  truth,  that  suffering  was  my  appointed 
portion,  and  that  it  became  me  to  expect  it  as  my  daily 
lot.  Yet  after  all,  I  was  ready  to  cry  out,  what  an  unfor- 
tunate creature  I  am,  the  child  of  sorrow  and  care  ;  from 
my  infancy  I  have  met  with  nothing  but  contradiction,  but 
I  always  solaced  myself  that  one  day  it  would  be  better, 
and  I  should  find  myself  comfortably  settled  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  domestic  pleasures,  whereas,  after  all  the  wearying 
labours  of  school  and  college,  I  am  at  last  cut  off  from  all 
my  friends,  and  comforts,  and  dearest  hopes,  without  being 
permitted  even  to  hope  for  them  any  more.  As  I  walked 
the  deck,  I  found  that  the  conversation  of  others,  and  my 


THE  NINE  MONTHS^    VOYAGE,    1805-1806         127 

own  gloomy  surmises  of  my  future  trials,  affected  me  far 
less  with  vexation,  than  they  formerly  did,  merely  from 
this,  that  I  took  it  as  my  portion  from  God,  all  whose 
dispensations  I  am  bound  to  consider  and  receive  as  the 
fruits  of  infinite  wisdom  and  love  towards  me.  I  felt, 
therefore,  very  quiet,  and  was  manifestly  strengthened  from 
above  with  might  in  my  inner  man  ;  therefore,  without  any 
joy,  without  any  pleasant  considerations  to  balance  my 
present  sickness  and  gloom,  I  was  contented  from  the 
reflection,  that  it  was  God  who  did  it.  I  pray  that  this 
may  be  my  state — neither  to  be  anxious  to  escape  from 
this  stormy  sea  that  was  round  the  Cape,  nor  to  change 
the  tedious  scene  of  the  ship  for  Madras,  nor  to  leave  this 
world  merely  to  get  rid  of  the  troubles  of  it,  but  to  glorify 
God  where  I  am,  and  where  He  puts  me,  and  to  take  each 
day  as  an  important  trust  for  Him,  in  which  I  have  much 
to  do  both  in  suffering  and  acting.  Employed  in  collecting 
from  the  New  Testament  all  the  passages  that  refer  to  our 
walking  in  Christ. 

February  18. — Completed  my  twenty-fifth  year.  Let 
me  recollect  it  to  my  own  shame,  and  be  warned  by  it,  to 
spend  my  future  years  to  a  better  purpose ;  unless  this 
the  case,  it  is  of  very  little  consequence  to  notice  when 
such  a  person  came  into  the  world.  Passed  much  of  the 
morning  in  prayer,  but  could  not  succeed  at  all  in  getting 
an  humble  and  contrite  spirit ;  my  pride  and  self-esteem 
seemed  unconquerable.  Wrote  sermon  with  my  mind 
impressed  with  the  necessity  of  diligence  :  had  the  usual 
service,  and  talked  much  to  a  sick  marh  Read  Hindu- 
stani. 

February  27. — Rose  once  more  after  a  sleepless  night, 
and  had  in  consequence  a  peevish  temper  to  contend  with. 
Had  a  comfortable  and  fervent  season  of  prayer,  in  the 
morning,  while  interceding  for  the  heathen  from  some  of 
the  chapters  in  Isaiah.  How  striking  did  those  words 
Isaiah  xlii.  8  appear  to  me,  '  I  am  the  Lord,  that  is  My 


128  HENRY  MARTYN 

name  ;  and  My  glory  will  I  not  give  to  another,  neither  My 
praise  to  graven  images.'  Lord,  is  not  Thy  praise  given  to 
graven  images  in  India  ?  Here,  then,  is  Thine  own  express 
word  that  it  shall  not  continue  to  be  so.  And  how  easy  is 
it  for  the  mighty  God  that  created  the  heavens  and  stretched 
them  out,  that  spread  forth  the  earth,  and  that  which  cometh 
out  of  it  ;  that  giveth  breath  unto  the  people  upon  it,  and 
spirit  to  them  that  walk  therein  ;  to  effect  His  purposes  in 
a  moment.  What  is  caste  ?  What  are  inveterate  preju- 
dices, and  civil  power,  and  priestly  bigotry,  when  once  the 
Lord  shall  set  to  His  hand  ?  Who  knows  whether  even  the 
present  generation  may  not  see  Satan's  throne  shaken  to 
its  base  in  India?  Learning  Hindustani  words  in  the 
morning ;  in  the  afternoon  below,  and  much  hurt  at  the 
cold  reception  the  men  gave  me. 

March  7. — Endeavoured  this  morning  to  consider  Christ 
as  the  High  Priest  of  my  profession.  Never  do  I  set 
myself  to  understand  the  nature  of  my  walk  in  Christ 
without  getting  good  to  my  soul.  Employed  as  usual 
through  the  day.  Heard  from  M'Kenzie  that  they  are  not 
yet  tired  with  inveighing  against  my  doctrines.  They  took 
occasion  also  to  say,  from  my  salary,  that '  Martyn,  as  well 
as  the  rest,  can  share  the  plunder  of  the  natives  in  India  ; 
whether  it  is  just  or  not  he  does  not  care.'  This  brought 
back  the  doubts  I  formerly  had  about  the  lawfulness  of 
receiving  anything  from  the  Company.  My  mind  is  not 
yet  comfortable  about  it.  I  see  it,  however,  my  duty  to 
wait  in  faith  and  patience,  till  the  Lord  shall  satisfy  my 
doubts  one  way  or  other.  I  would  wish  for  no  species  of 
connection  with  the  East  India  Company,  and  notwith- 
standing the  large  sums  I  have  borrowed  on  the  credit  of 
my  salary,  which  I  shall  never  be  able  to  repay  from  any 
other  means,  I  would  wish  to  become  a  missionary, 
dependent  on  a  society  ;  but  I  know  not  how  to  decide. 
The  Lord  in  mercy  keep  my  soul  in  peace.  Other  thoughts 
have  occurred   to   me  since.      A   man  who    has    unjustly 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,   1805 -1806         129 

got  possession  of  an  estate  hires  me  as  a  minister  to 
preach  to  his  servants,  and  pays  me  a  salary:  the  money 
wherewith  he  pays  me  comes  unjustly  to  him,  but  justly  to 
me.  The  Company  are  the  acknowledged  proprietors  of 
the  country,  the  ruling  power.  If  I  were  to  refuse  to  go 
there,  I  might,  on  the  same  account,  refuse  to  go  to  France, 
and  preach  to  the  French  people  or  bodyguard  of  the 
emperor,  because  the  present  monarch  who  pays  me  is 
not  the  lawful  one.  If  there  were  a  company  of 
Mohammedan  merchants  or  Mohammedan  princes  in 
possession  of  the  country,  should  I  hesitate  to  accept  an 
offer  of  officiating  as  chaplain  among  them,  and  receiving  a 
salary } 

March  14. — Suavissinia  vita  est  indies  sentire  se  fieri 
meliorem.  So  I  can  say  from  former  experience  more 
than  from  present.  But  oh,  it  is  the  ardent  desire  of  my 
soul  to  regard  all  earthly  things  with  indifference,  as  one 
who  dwells  above  with  God.  May  I  grow  in  grace ;  may 
the  grace  of  God,  which  bringeth  salvation,  teach  me  to 
become  daily  more  spiritual,  more  humble,  more  steadfast 
in  Christ,  more  meek,  more  wise,  and  in  all  things  to  live 
soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world.  How 
shall  I  attain  to  greater  heavenly-mindedness  ?  Rose 
refreshed  after  a  good  night's  sleep,  and  wrote  on  a  subject ; 
had  much  conversation  with  Mr.  B.  upon  deck ;  he  seemed 
much  surprised  when  I  corrected  his  notions  on  religion, 
but  received  what  I  said  with  great  candour.  He  said 
there  was  a  minister  at  Madras,  a  Dane,  with  whom  Sir  D. 
Baird  was  well  acquainted,  who  used  to  speak  in  the  same 
manner  of  religion,  whose  name  was  Schwartz.  My 
attention  was  instantly  roused  at  the  venerable  name,  and 
I  eagerly  inquired  of  him  all  the  particulars  with  which  he 
was  acquainted.  He  had  often  heard  him  preach,  and  Mr. 
Jaenicke  had  often  breakfasted  with  him ;  Schwartz,  he 
said,  had  a  very  commanding  manner,  and  used  to  preach 
extempore  in  English  at  Madras  ;  he  died  very  poor.     In 

K 


I30  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  afternoon  had  a  service  below  ;    much  of  the  evening 
M'Kenzie  passed  with  me,  and  prayed. 

March  26.— Passed  much  time  before  breakfast  in 
sitting  on  the  poop,  through  utter  disinclination  to  all 
exertion.  Such  is  the  enervating  effect  of  the  climate ; 
but  after  staying  some  hours  learning  Hindustani  words, 
2  Timothy  ii.  roused  me  to  a  bodily  exertion.  I  felt 
strong  in  spirit,  resolving,  if  I  died  under  it,  to  make  the 
body  submit  to  robust  exercise ;  so  I  walked  the  deck 
with  great  rapidity  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  My  animal 
spirits  were  altered  instantly ;  I  felt  a  happy  and  joyful 
desire  to  brave  the  enervating  effects  of  India  in  the 
service  of  the  blessed  Lord  Jesus.  B.  still  delirious  and 
dying  fast :  the  first  thing  he  said  to  me  when  I  visited 
him  this  afternoon,  was,  '  Mr.  Martyn,  what  will  you  choose 
for  a  kingdom  } '  I  made  no  answer  to  this,  but  thought 
of  it  a  good  deal  afterwards.  What  would  I  choose? 
Why,  I  do  not  know  that  anything  would  be  a  heaven  to 
me,  but  the  service  of  Christ,  and  the  enjoyment  of  His 
presence. 

In  this  spirit,  coasting  Ceylon,  and  getting  his  first 
sight  of  India  at  the  Danish  mission  station  of  Tranquebar, 
on  April  22,  1806,  Henry  Martyn  landed  at  Madras.  To 
Mr.  Hitchins  he  afterwards  wrote  : 

There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  this  first  part  of 
India  which  I  visited  ;  it  was  by  no  means  so  romantic  as 
America.  Vast  numbers  of  black  people  were  walking 
about  with  no  dress  but  a  little  about  their  middle,  but  no 
European  was  to  be  seen  except  here  and  there  one  in  a 
palanquin.  Once  I  preached  at  Fort  St.  George,  though 
the  chaplains  hardly  knew  what  to  make  of  such  sort  of 
preaching  ;  they  were,  however,  not  offended.  Finding  that 
the  people  would  bear  to  be  addressed  plainly,  and  not 
really  think  the  worse  of  a  minister  for  dealing  closely  with 


THE  NINE  MONTHS'    VOYAGE,    1805-1806         131 

their  consciences,  they  determined,  they  said,  to  preach  the 
Gospel  as  I  did  ;  but  I  fear  that  one,  if  not  both,  has  yet  to 
learn  what  the  Gospel  is.  I  breakfasted  one  day  with  Sir 
E.  Pellew,  the  Port  Admiral  at  Madras,  and  met  S.  Cole, 
his  captain.  I  was  perfectly  delighted  to  find  one  with 
whom  I  could  speak  about  St.  Hilary  and  Marazion  ;  wc 
spoke  of  every  person,  place,  and  thing  we  could  think  of 
in  your  neighbourhood. 


R  2 


133  HENRY  MARTYN 


CHAPTER    IV 

INDIA   AND   THE    EAST   IN    THE   YEAR    1806 

Henry  Martyn  reached  India,  and  entered  on  his  official 
duties  as  chaplain  and  the  work  of  his  heart  as  missionary 
to  North  India,  at  a  time  when  the  Anglo-Indian  com- 
munity had  begun  to  follow  society  in  England,  in  a 
reformation  of  life  and  manners,  and  in  a  corresponding 
desire  to  do  good  to  the  natives.  The  evangelical  reaction 
set  in  motion  by  the  Pietists,  Moravians,  and  Marrow-men, 
John  Wesley  and  Whitfield,  Andrew  Fuller  and  Simeon, 
John  Erskine  and  the  Haldanes,  had  first  affected  South 
India  and  Madras,  where  Protestant  Christian  Missions 
were  just  a  century  old.  The  Danish- Halle  men,  led  by 
Ziegenbalg  and  Schwartz,  had  found  support  in  the  Society 
for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  from  the  year  1709. 
So  early  as  1716  an  East  India  Company's  chaplain,  the 
Rev.  William  Stevenson,  wrote  a  remarkable  letter  to  that 
society,^  '  concerning  the  most  effectual  way  of  propagating 
the  Gospel  in  this  (South  India)  part  of  the  world.'  He 
urged  a  union  of  the  several  agencies  in  England,  Denmark, 
and  Germany  into  one  common  Society  for  Promoting  the 
Protestant  Missions,  the  formation  of  colleges  in  Europe 
to  train  missionaries,  the  raising  of  an  annual  income  of 

'  An  Abstract  of  the  Annual  Reports  and  Correspondetue  of  the  Society  for 
Promoting  Christian  Kn^cv  ledge  from  i'jo<)  to  1814.     London,  1S14,  pp.  4-24. 


INDIA   AND   THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806      133 

3,000/.,  and  the  maintenance  therewith  of  a  staff  of  at 
least  eight  well-quaHfied  missionaries.  By  a  century  and 
a  half  he  anticipated  the  proposal  of  that  union  which 
gives  strength  and  charity ;  the  erection  of  colleges,  at 
Tranquebar  and  Madras,  to  train  native  ministers,  cate- 
chists,  and  schoolmasters,  and  the  opening  of  free  schools 
in  every  considerable  place  superintended  by  the  Euro- 
pean missionaries  on  the  circle  system.  Another  Madras 
chaplain,  the  Rev.  George  Lewis,  was  no  less  friendly 
and  helpful  to  Ziegenbalg  ;  he  was  Mr.  Stevenson's  pre- 
decessor, and  wrote  in  171 2. 

In  North  India — where  the  casteless  races  of  the  hills, 
corresponding  to  the  Shanars  around  Cape  Comorin,  were 
not  discovered  till  far  on  in  the  present  century  — almost 
everything  was  different.  By  the  time  that  the  Evangelical 
Church  directed  its  attention  to  Calcutta,  the  East  India 
Company  had  become  a  political,  and  consequently  an 
intolerant,  power.  It  feared  Christian  proselytism,  and  it 
encouraged  Hindu  and  Mohammedan  beliefs  and  institu- 
tions. Whereas,  in  Madras,  it  gladly  used  Schwartz, 
subsidised  the  mission  with  500  pagodas  or  225/.  a  year, 
and  had  always  conveyed  the  missionaries'  freight  in  its 
ships  free  of  charge,  in  Bengal  it  kept  out  missionaries,  or 
so  treated  them  with  all  the  rigour  of  the  law  against 
'  interlopers,'  that  William  Carey  had  to  begin  his  career 
as  an  indigo  planter,  and  seek  protection  in  Danish 
Serampore,  where  he  became  openly  and  only  a  preacher 
and  teacher  of  Christ.  North  India,  too,  with  Calcutta 
and  Benares  as  its  two  Hindu  centres,  and  Lucknow  and 
Delhi  as  its  two  Mohammedan  centres,  Shiah  and  Soonni, 
was,  and  is,  the  very  citadel  of  all  the  non-Christian  world. 
The  same  Gospel  which  had  proved  the  power  of  God  to 


134 


HENRY  MARTYN 


the  simple  demonolators  of  the  Dravidian  south,  must  be 
shown  to  be  the  wisdom  of  God  to  the  Koolin  of  Bengal, 
the  Brahman  of  Kasi,  the  fanatical  Muslim  from  Dacca,  and 
ultimately  to  Peshawur  and  Cabul,  Persia  and  Arabia.    The 
Himalayan    and    Gangetic    land — from   which    Buddhism 
overran  Eastern    and    Southern    Asia — must   again   send 
forth  a  missionary  message  to  call  Cathay  to  Christ. 
/      The  Christianising  of  North  India  began  in  1758,  the 
year  after  the  battle  of  Plassey,  when,  as  Governor,  the 
^conqueror,  Clive,  welcomed    his   old  acquaintance,  of  the 
Cuddalore  Mission,  the  Swede  Kiernander,  to  Calcutta,  and 
gave  him  a  rent-free  house  for  eight  years.     Even  Burke 
was  friendly  with  Clive,  writing  of  him  :  '  Lord  Clive  once 
thought  himself  obliged  to  me  for  having  done  what  I 
thought  an  act  of  justice  towards  him  ;'  '  and  it  is  pleasant 
thus  to  be  able  in  any  way  to  link  that  name  with  the 
purely   spiritual    force  which   used    the    Plassey  and    the 
Mutiny   wars,   as    it   will    direct    all   events,   for   making 
India   Christ's.      The  first    church,  built  in    17 15  by  the 
merchants  and  captains,  had   been  destroyed  by  a  hurri- 
cane ;   the   second    had    been    demolished    by  Suraj-ood- 
Dowlah,  in   the  siege  of  Calcutta,  two  years  before,  and 
one  of  the  two  chaplains  had  perished  in  the  Black  Hole, 
while  the  other  was  driven   away.      For  the  next  thirty 
years  the  few  who  went  to  the  chaplains'  church  worshipped 
in  a   small  bungalow  in  the  old  fort,  where    Kiernander 
opened  his  first  school.     By  177 1-4  he  had  formed  such 
a   congregation    of  poor  Christians — Portuguese,    Roman 
Catholics,  and  Bengali  converts — that  he  built  and  extended 
the  famous  Mission  Church  and  School-house,  at  a  cost  of 

'  See  a  remarkable  letter  from  Mr.  Burke  to  Yuseph  Emin,  an  Armenian 
of  Calcutta,  in  Simeon's  Memorial  Sketches  of  David  Brown,  p.  334, 


INDIA   AND    THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806       135 

12,000/.,  received  from  both  his  marriages.  When,  by 
becoming  surety  for  another,  the  old  man  lost  his  all,  and 
blindness  added  to  his  sorrows,  he  left  an  English  congre- 
gation of  147  members,  and  a  Native  congregation  of  119, 
half  Portuguese  or  Eurasians,  and  half  Bengali. 

Kiernander's  Mission  Church  was  the  centre  of  the 
religious  life  of  Calcutta  and  Bengal.  Six  years  after  its 
foundation  there  came  to  Calcutta,  from  Madras,  Mr. 
William  Chambers — who  had  been  converted  by  Schwartz 
— and  John  Christian  Obeck,  who  had  been  one  of  the 
catechists  of  the  Apostle  of  South  India.  Chambers  had 
not  been  a  year  in  the  capital  when  he  found  out  Charles 
Grant,  at  that  time  overwhelmed  by  a  domestic  sorrow, 
and  brought  him  to  Christ.  Grant  soon  after  went  to 
Maldah  as  Commercial  Resident,  where  he  had  as  his 
subordinates,  George  Udny,  Ellerton,  W.  Brown,  W.  Grant, 
J.  Henry,  and  Creighton.  These  men,  with  their  families. 
Sir  Robert  Chambers,  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Mrs.  Anne 
Chambers  who  was  with  her  sons,  Mrs.  Chapman,  and 
others  less  known,  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  Christian 
community  which  first  supported  Thomas  as  a  medical 
missionary,  then  welcomed  Carey,  and,  with  the  assistance 
of  two  Governor-Generals,  Sir  John  Shore  and  Lord 
Wellcsley,  changed  the  tone  of  Anglo-Indian  society. 
Sir  William  Jones,  too,  in  his  brief  career  of  six  years,  set 
an  example  of  all  the  virtues.  Henry  Martyn  had  two 
predecessors  as  Evangelical  chaplains  and  missionary 
philanthropists,  the  Yorkshire  David  Brown,  and  the 
Scottish  Claudius  Buchanan. 

David  Brown,  an  early  friend  of  Simeon  and  Fellow  of 
Magdalen  College,  was  recovering  from  a  long  illness  in 
1785,  when  a  letter  reached  him  from  London,  proposing 


136  HENRY  MARTYN 

that  he  should  seek  ordination,  and  in  ten  days  he  accom 
panied  Captain  Kirkpatrick  to  Calcutta  to  superintend  the 
Military  Orphan  School.  The  officers  of  the  Bengal  Army 
had  unanimously  resolved  to  tax  themselves  for  the  removal 
and  prevention  of  the  scandal  caused  by  the  number  of 
boys  and  girls  left  destitute — no  fewer  than  500  at  that 
time.  This  noble  school,  the  blessings  of  which  were  soon 
extended  to  the  white  and  coloured  offspring  of  non- 
commissioned officers  and  soldiers  also,  was  organised  at 
Howrah  by  Brown,  who  then  was  made  chaplain  to  a 
brigade,  and  afterwards  one  ot  the  Fort  William  or 
Presidency  chaplains.  He  found  the  Mission  practically 
non-existent,  owing  to  Kiernander's  losses  and  old  age.  To 
save  the  buildings  from  sale  by  the  sheriff,  Charles  Grant 
bought  them  for  10,000  rupees  and  vested  them  in  himself, 
Mr.  A.  Chambers,  and  Mr.  Brown,  by  a  deed  providing  that 
they  remain  appropriated  to  the  sole  purposes  of  religion. 
Until  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge 
could  send  out  a  minister,  David  Brown  greatly  extended 
the  work  of  Kiernander.  At  one  time  it  was  likely  that 
Henry  Martyn  would  be  sent  out  by  Mr.  Grant.  Under  the 
Church  Missionary  Society  the  Mission  Church  of  Calcutta 
has  ever  since  been  identified  with  all  that  is  best  in  pure 
religion  and  missionary  enterprise  in  the  city  of  Calcutta. 

When  sending  out  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Clarke,  B.A.  of  Trinity 
College,  Cambridge,  who  soon  after  became  a  chaplain,  the 
Christian  Knowledge  Society,  referring  to  Schwartz  and 
Germany,  fertile  in  missionaries,  declared,  *  It  has  been  the 
surprise  of  many,  and  the  lamentation  of  more,  that  fortitude 
thus  exemplified  should  not  have  inspired  some  of  our  own 
clergy  with  an  emulation  to  follow  and  to  imitate  these 
champions  of  the  Cross,  thus  seeking  and  thus  contending 


INDIA   AND    THE  EAST  IN  THE   YEAR   1806       137 

to  save  them  who  are  lost'  That  was  in  1789,  when  the 
Society  and  Dr.  Watson,  Bishop  of  Llandaff,  along  with 
Simeon,  Wilberforce,  and  the  other  Clapham  men,  had 
before  it,  officially,  the  request  of  Charles  Grant,  Chambers 
and  Brown  to  send  out  eight  English  missionaries  on  350/. 
a  year  each,  to  study  at  Benares  and  attack  Hinduism 
in  its  very  centre.  Not  till  18 17  was  the  first  Church  of 
England  missionary,  as  such,  the  Rev.  William  Greenwood, 
to  settle  in  Ceylon  and  then  in  Bengal.  Even  he  became 
rather  an  additional  chaplain  to  the  invalid  soldiers  at 
Chunar. 

After  a  career  not  unlike  that  of  John  Newton,  who 
first  directed  his  attention  to  India,  Claudius  Buchanan, 
whom  his  father  had  intended  to  educate  for  the  ministry 
of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  wandered  to  London,  was  sent  to 
Queen's  College,  Cambridge,  by  Mr.  Thornton  of  Clapham  ; 
there  came  under  Simeon's  influence,  and  was  appointed  to 
Bengal  as  a  chaplain  by  Mr.  Grant.  That  was  in  1796. 
For  the  next  ten  years  in  Barrackpore  and  Calcutta  as 
the  trusted  chaplain  of  Lord  Wellesley,  by  his  researches 
in  South  India,  by  his  promotion  of  Bible  translation,  and 
by  the  interest  in  the  Christianising  of  India  which  his 
generous  prizes  excited  in  the  Universities  and  Churches  of 
England  and  Scotland,  Dr.  Claudius  Buchanan  was  the 
foremost  ecclesiastic  in  the  East.  He  at  once  gave  an 
impulse  to  the  silent  revolution  which  David  Brown  began 
and  the  Serampore  missionaries  carried  on.  His  Christian 
statesmanship  commended  him  to  all  the  authorities,  and 
soon  the  new  Cathedral  of  St.  John,  which  Warren 
Hastings  had  erected  to  supersede  the  old  Bungalow 
Church,  became  filled  with  an  attentive  and  devout  con- 
gregation, as  well  as  the  mission  church.     These  two  men 


138  HENRY  MARTYN 

and  William  Carey  formed  the  pillars  of  the  College  of  Fort 
William,  by  which  Lord  Wellesley  not  only  educated  the 
young  civilians  and  military  officers  in  the  Oriental 
languages,  and  in  their  duties  to  the  natives,  but  developed 
a  high  ideal  of  public  life  and  personal  morality.  Such 
was  the  growth  of  Christian  feeling  alike  in  the  army  and 
the  civil  service,  and  such  the  sense  of  duty  to  the  rapidly  in- 
creasing Eurasian  community,  as  well  as  to  the  natives, 
that  by  1803  Claudius  Buchanan  submitted  to  the  Governor- 
General,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Bishop 
Porteus,  his  Thoughts  on  the  Expediency  of  an  Ecclesiastical 
Establishment  for  British  India.  It  took  ten  years,  covering 
the  whole  period  of  Henry  Martyn's  activities  and  life,  from 
this  time  for  the  proposal  to  be  legislatively  carried  out  in 
the  East  India  Company's  Charter  of  1813. 

Practically — except  in  Maldah  residency  during  the 
influence  of  Grant,  Udny,  and  Carey  at  the  end  of  last 
century — the  reformation  was  confined  to  Calcutta,  as  we 
shall  see.  It  was  a  young  lieutenant  of  the  Company's 
army  who  was  the  first  to  draw  the  attention  of  the 
Governor-General,  Sir  John  Shore,  in  1794,  to  the  total 
neglect  of  religion  in  Bengal.  Lieutenant  White  wrote 
that  he  had  been  eleven  years  in  the  country  without 
having  had  it  in  his  power  to  hear  the  public  prayers  of 
the  Church  above  five  times.  He  urged  the  regular 
worship  of  God,  the  public  performance  of  Divine  service, 
and  preaching  at  all  the  stations.  He  proposed  'additional 
chaplains  to  the  Company's  complement  for  considerable 
places  which  now  have  none  to  officiate.  Unless  places 
were  erected  at  the  different  stations  for  assembling  to 
Divine  service,  it  must  be  impossible  for  chaplains  even  to 
be  able  to  do  their  duty,  and  to  assemble  the  people  together.* 


INDIA   AND   THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806       139 

The  letter  delighted  the  Governor-General,  who  said  of  it 
to  David  Brown,  '  I  shall  certainly  recommend  places  to 
be  made  at  the  stations,  and  shall  desire  the  General  who 
is  going  up  the  country  to  take  this  matter  in  charge,  and 
to  fix  on  spots  where  chapels  shall  be  erected.'  Nothing 
was  done  in  consequence  of  this,  however.  It  was  left  to 
Martyn,  and  the  other  chaplains  who  were  in  earnest,  to 
find  or  create  covered  places  for  worship  at  the  great  mili- 
tary stations.  Claudius  Buchanan  himself  could  not  hold 
regular  services  at  Barrackpore,  close  to  Calcutta,  for  want 
of  a  church,  and  that  was  supplied  long  after  by  adapting 
and  consecrating  the  station  theatre  ! 

The  figures  in  Buchanan's  published  Memoir  on  the 
Expediency  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Establishment,  enable  us 
to  estimate  exactly  the  spiritual  destitution  of  the  Protes- 
tant subjects  of  the  British  Government  in  Asia.  Twelve 
years  after  Lieutenant  White,  Sir  John  Shore,  David 
Brown,  and  Claudius  Buchanan  first  raised  the  question, 
and  when  Henry  Martyn  began  his  ministrations  to  all 
classes,  there  were  676,557  Protestant  subjects  in  India, 
Ceylon,  Java,  Sumatra,  and  Canton,  Roman  Catholics  and 
Syrian  Christians  not  included.  In  the  three  Presidencies 
of  India  alone  there  were  156,057,  of  whom  7,257  were 
civil  and  military  officers  and  inhabitants,  6,000  were  the 
Company's  European  troops,  19,800  were  the  King's  troops, 
1 10,000  were  Eurasians,  and  13,000  were  'native  Protes- 
tant Christians  at  Tanjore.'  In  Bengal  alone — that  is, 
North  India — there  were  fifty  stations,  thirty-one  civil  and 
nineteen  military,  many  of  which  had  been  'without  the 
offices  of  religion  for  twenty  years  past,  though  at  each 
there  reside  generally  a  judge,  a  collector,  a  commercial 
resident,  with  families,  together  with  their  assistants  and 


I40  HENRY  MARTYN 

families,  and  a  surgeon  ; '  also  indigo  planters,  tradesmen, 
and  other  European  inhabitants  and  the  alarmingly  large 
number  of  Eurasians.  In  Bengal  alone  there  were  13,299 
European  Protestants,  of  whom  2,467  were  civil  servants 
and  military  officers  ;  of  the  whole  13,299,  '  a  tenth  part  do 
not  return  to  England,'  and  desire  Christian  education  and 
confirmation  for  their  children.  Yet  '  at  present  there  are 
but  three  churches  in  India,  the  chief  of  which  was  aided  in 
construction  by  Hindu  contribution.'  The  India  Journals 
and  Letters  of  Martyn  must  be  read  in  the  light  of  all 
this. 

It  was  thus  that  the  successive  generations  of  soldiers 
and  civilians  who  won  for  Christian  England  its  Indian 
Empire  in  the  century  from  Clive  to  Wellesley,  Hast- 
ings, and  Dalhousie,  were  de-Christianised.  Not  till  the 
close  of  the  Mutiny  war  in  1858  did  John  Lawrence, 
first  as  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  Punjab  and  then  as 
Viceroy,  and  Sir  Robert  Montgomery  as  Lieutenant- 
Governor,  lead  the  Queen's  Government  to  do  its  duty,  by 
erecting,  or  helping  Christians  to  erect,  a  chapel  in  every 
station  up  to  Peshawur  and  Burma — that,  to  use  Buchanan's 
language  in  1806,  '  the  English  soldiers  and  our  countrymen 
of  all  descriptions,  after  long  absence  from  a  Christian 
country,  may  recognise  a  church.'  Including  Ceylon, 
Buchanan's  scheme  proposed  an  annual  expenditure  of 
144,000/.  for  four  dioceses,  with  50  English  chaplains  and 
100  native  curates,  200  schoolmasters  and  4  colleges  to 
train  both  Europeans  and  natives  for  the  ministry ;  of 
this.  Parliament  to  give  100,000/.  The  ecclesiastical 
establishment  of  India — without  Ceylon,  but  including 
Church  of  Scotland  chaplains,  and  grants  to  Wesleyans 
and  Roman  Catholics — now  costs  India  itself  160,000/.  a 


INDIA   AND   THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806       141 

year,  while  the  annual  value  of  the  lands  devoted  to  the  non- 
Christian  cults  is  many  millions  sterling.  With  all  this, 
and  the  aid  of  the  Additional  Clergy  and  Anglo-Indian 
Evangelisation  Societies,  and  of  the  missionaries  to  the 
natives,  Great  Britain  does  not  meet  the  spiritual  wants  of 
the  now  enormous  number  and  scattered  communities  of 
Christian  soldiers  and  residents  in  its  Indian  Empire. 

Henry  Martyn  went  out  to  India  at  a  time  when  the 
government  of  India  had  been  temporarily  entrusted  to 
one  of  the  only  three  or  four  incompetent  and  unworthy 
men  who  have  held  the  high  office  of  Govern  or- General. 
Sir  George  Barlow  was  a  Bengal  civilian  of  the  old  type, 
whom  Lord  Wellesley  had  found  so  zealous  and  useful 
in  matters  of  routine  that  he  had  recommended  him 
as  provisional  Governor -General.  But  the  moment  that 
that  proconsul  had  seated  the  East  India  Company  on  the 
throne  of  the  Great  Mogul,  as  has  been  said,  and  Lord 
Cornwallis,  who  had  been  hurried  out  a  second  time  to 
undo  his  magnificent  and  just  policy,  had  died  at  Ghazipore, 
Sir  George  Barlow  showed  the  most  disastrous  zeal  in 
opposition  to  all  his  former  convictions.  By  withholding 
from  Sindia  the  lamentable  despatch  of  September  19,  i  Sc;, 
which  Lord  Cornwallis  had  signed  when  the  unconsciousness 
of  death  had  already  weakened  his  efficiency,  Lord  Lake 
gave  the  civil  authorities  a  final  opportunity  to  consider 
their  ways.  But  Barlow's  stupidity — now  clothed  with  the 
almost  dictator's  power  of  the  highest  office  under  the 
British  Crown,  as  it  was  in  those  days — deliberately  de- 
clared it  to  be  his  desire,  not  only  to  fix  the  limit  of  our 
empire  at  the  Jumna,  a  river  fordable  by  an  enemy  at  all 
times,  but  to  promote  general  anarchy  beyond  that  frontier 
as  the  best  security  for  British  peace  within  it.     The  peace 


142  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  Southern  Asia  and  the  good  of  its  peoples  were  postponed 
for  years,  till,  with  difficulty,  the  Marquis  of  Hastings 
restored  the  empire  to  the  position  in  which  Lord  Wellesley 
had  left  it.  Sir  George  Barlow  is  responsible  for  the  twelve 
years'  anarchy  of  British  India,  from  1805  to  18 17.  His 
administration,  which  became  such  a  failure  that  he  was  re- 
moved to  Madras,  and  was  from  even  that  province  recalled, 
must  rank  as  a  blot  on  the  otherwise  unbroken  splendour 
and  benevolence  to  the  subject  races  of  the  government  of 
South  Asia  in  the  century  and  a  half  from  Clive  to  Lord 
Lansdowne. 

The  man  who,  from  dull  stolidity  more  than  from 
Macchiavellian  craft,  thus  again  plunged  half  India  into 
a  series  of  wars  by  chief  upon  chief  and  creed  upon  creed, 
was  no  less  guilty  of  intolerance  to  Christianity  within  the 
Company's  territories.  On  the  one  hand,  in  opposition 
to  the  views  of  Lord  Wellesley,  and  even  of  the  Court  of 
Directors  led  by  Charles  Grant,  he  made  the  Company's 
government  the  direct  manager  of  the  Poori  temple  of 
Jaganath  and  its  dancing  girls  ;  on  the  other,  he  would  have 
banished  the  Serampore  and  all  Christian  missionaries 
from  the  country,  but  for  the  courageous  opposition  of 
the  little  Governor  of  that  Danish  settlement.  All  too  late 
he  was  relieved  by  Lord  Minto,  whom  the  Brahmanised 
officials  of  1807  to  1 8 10  used  for  a  final  and  futile  effort 
to  crush  Christianity  out  of  India,  to  the  indignation 
of  Henry  Martyn,  whose  language  in  his  Journal  is  not 
more  unmeasured  than  the  intolerance  deserves.  But 
in  his  purely  foreign  policy  Lord  Minto  proved  that 
he  had  not  held  the  office  of  President  of  the  Board 
of  Control  in  vain.  He  once  more  asserted  the  only 
reason  for  the  existence  of  a  foreign  power  in  India,  'the 


INDIA   AND    THE  EAST  IN   THE    YEAR   iSo6       143 

suppression  of  intestine  disorder/  clearing  Bundelkhund 
of  robber  chiefs  and  military  strongholds.  Surrounded  and 
assisted  by  the  brilliant  civilians  and  military  officers  whom 
Wellesley  and  Carey  had  trained — men  like  Mountstuart 
Elphinstone,  Metcalfe  and  Malcolm — Lord  Minto  proved 
equal  to  the  strain  which  the  designs  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
in  the  Treaty  of  Tilsit  put  upon  our  infant  empire  in  the 
East.  He  sent  Metcalfe  to  Lahore,  and  confined  the  dan- 
gerous power  of  Ranjeet  Singh  to  the  north  of  the  Sutlej. 
He  despatched  Elphinstone  to  Cabul,  introducing  the  wise 
policy  which  has  converted  Afghanistan  into  a  friendly 
subsidised  State ;  and  through  Malcolm  he  opened  Persia 
to  English  influence,  paving  the  way  for  the  embassy  of 
Wellesley's  friend,  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  and — unconsciously — 
for  the  kindly  reception  of  Henry  Martyn. 

It  was  on  April  22,  1806,  at  sunrise,  that  the  young 
chaplain  landed  from  the  surf-boat  on  the  sands  of  Madras. 
His  experience  at  San  Salvador  had  prepared  him  for 
the  scene,  and  even  for  the  crowds  of  dark  natives,  though 
not  for  *  the  elegance  of  their  manners.'  *  I  felt  a  solemn 
sort  of  melancholy  at  the  sight  of  such  multitudes  of 
idolators.  While  the  turbaned  Asiatics  waited  upon  us  at 
dinner,  about  a  dozen  of  them,  I  could  not  help  feeling 
as  if  we  had  got  into  their  places.'  He  visited  the  native 
suburb  in  which  his  Hindustani-speaking  servants  dwelt, 
and  was  depressed  by  its  '  appearance  of  wretchedness.' 
His  soul  was  filled  with  the  zeal  of  the  Old  Testament 
prophets  against  idolatry,  the  first  sight  of  which — of  men, 
women,  and  children,  mad  upon  their  idols — produces  an 
impression  which  he  does  not  exaggerate  :  *  I  fancy  the 
frown  of  God  to  be  visible.'  He  lost  not  a  day  in 
commending  his  Master  to  the  people.    *  Had  a  good  deal  of 


144  HENRY  MARTYN 

conversation  with  a  Rajpoot  about  religion,  and  told  him 
of  the  Gospel.'  The  young  natives  pressed  upon  the 
new-comer  as  usual.  '  Rose  early,  but  could  not  enjoy 
morning  meditations  in  my  walk,  as  the  young  men  would 
attach  themselves  to  me.' 

He  was  much  in  the  society  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Kerr  ^  and 
the  other  Madras  chaplains;  one  of  these  was  about  to 
proceed  to  Seringapatam,  where  Martyn  urged  him  to 
'devote  himself  to  the  work  of  preaching  to  the  natives.' 
This  was  ever  foremost  in  his  thoughts.  He  spent  days  in 
obtaining  from  Dr.  Kerr  '  a  vast  deal  of  information  about 
all  the  chaplains  and  missionaries  in  the  country,  which  he 
promised  to  put  in  writing  for  me.'  Schwartz  was  not  then 
dead  ten  years,  and  Dr.  Kerr,  who  had  known  him  and 
Guericke  well,  gave  his  eager  listener  many  details  of  the 
great  missionary. 

Felt  excessively  delighted  with  accounts  of  a  very 
late  date  from  Bengal,  describing  the  labours  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, and  was  rather  agitated  at  the  confusion  of 
interesting  thoughts  that  crowded  upon  me  ;  but  I  reasoned. 
Why  thus  }  God  may  never  honour  you  with  a  missionary 
commission  ;  you  must  expect  to  leave  the  field,  and  bid 
adieu  to  the  world  and  all  its  concerns. 

On  his  first  Sunday  in  India,  April  27,  1806,  Henry 
Martyn  assisted  in  the  service  in  the  church  at  Fort  St. 
George,  and  preached  from  Luke  x.  41,  42,  '  One  thing  is 
needful.' 

'  Simeon  thus  introduced  him  to  Dr.  Kerr,  in  a  private  letter  quoted  by 
a  later  Madras  chaplain,  Rev.  James  Hough,  in  his  valuable  five  volumes  on 
The  History  of  Chi-istianity  in  India :  '  Our  excellent  friend,  Mr.  Martyn, 
lived  five  months  with  me,  and  a  more  heavenly-minded  young  man  I  never 
saw.'  In  the  same  year,  the  Rev.  Marmaduke  Thompson,  an  evangelical 
chaplain,  arrived  in  Madras  vid  Calcutta. 


INDIA   AND   THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806       145 

There  was  much  attention,  and  Lord  William  sent 
to  Dr.  Kerr  afterwards  to  request  a  copy  of  the  sermon  ; 
but  I  believe  it  was  generally  thought  too  severe.  After 
dinner,  went  to  Black  Town  to  Mr.  Loveless's  chapel.  I 
sat  in  the  air  at  the  door  enjoying  the  blessed  sound  of 
the  Gospel  on  an  Indian  shore,  and  joining  with  much 
comfort  in  the  song  of  divine  praise.  With  young 
Torriano  I  had  some  conversation  respecting  his  entering 
the  ministry,  as  he  spoke  the  Malabar  tongue  fluently. 
Walked  home  at  night  enjoying  the  presence  of  God. 

April  2?). — This  morning,  at  breakfast,  Sir  E.  Pellewcame 
in  and  said  :  '  Upon  my  word,  Mr.  Martyn,  you  gave  us  a 
good  trimming  yesterday.'  As  this  was  before  a  large 
company,  and  I  was  taken  by  surprise,  I  knew  not  what  to 
say.  Passed  most  of  the  day  in  transcribing  the  sermon. 
There  was  nothing  very  awakening  in  it.  About  five  in 
the  evening  I  walked  to  Dr.  Kerr's,  and  found  my  way 
across  the  fields,  which  much  resembled  those  near 
Cambridge  ;  I  stopped  some  time  to  take  a  view  of  the 
men  drawing  '  toddy '  from  the  tree,  and  their  manner  of 
ploughing. 

April  30. — Breakfasted  at  Sir  E.  Pellew's  with  Captain 
S.  Cole  of  the  Culloden.  I  had  a  good  deal  of  con- 
versation about  our  friends  at  St.  Hilary  and  Marazion. 
Continued  at  home  the  rest  of  the  day  transcribing  sermon, 
and  reading  Zechariah.  In  the  evening  drove  with  Dr. 
Kerr  to  Mr.  Faulkner's,  the  Persian  translator,  five  or  six 
miles  in  the  country.  We  had  some  useful  conversation 
about  the  languages.  On  my  return  walked  by  moonlight 
in  the  grounds  reflecting  on  the  mission.  My  soul  was  at 
first  sore  tried  by  desponding  thoughts  :  but  God  wonderfully 
assisted  me  to  trust  Him  for  the  wisdom  of  His  dispen- 
sations. Truly,  therefore,  will  I  say  again,  '  Who  art  thou, 
O  great  mountain  ?  before  Zerubbabel  thou  shalt  become  a 
plain.'  How  easy  for  God  to  do  it !  and  it  shall  be  done 
in  good   time  :    and  even  if  I  never  should   see  a  native 

L 


,46  HENRY  MARTYN 

converted,  God  may  design  by  my  patience  and  con- 
tinuance in  the  work  to  encourage  future  missionaries. 
But  what  surprises  me  is  the  change  of  views  I  have  here 
from  what  I  had  in  England. — There,  my  heart  expanded 
with  hope  and  joy  at  the  prospect  of  the  speedy  conversion 
of  the  heathen  !  but  here,  the  sight  of  the  apparent  impos- 
sibiHty  requires  a  strong  faith  to  support  the  spirits. 

The  '  Lord  William  '  of  the  Journal  is  the  Governor  of 
Madras,  Lord  William  Bentinck,  whom,  at  the  beginning 
of  his  Indian  career,  it  is  interesting  to  find  thus  pleasantly 
brought  into  contact  with  Henry  Martyn — ^just  as  he 
became  the  fast  friend  of  Alexander  Duff,  at  the  close  of 
his  long  and  beneficent  services  to  his  country  and  to 
humanity.  In  two  months  thereafter  the  Vellore  Mutiny 
was  to  break  out,  through  no  fault  of  his,  and  he  was  to  be 
recalled  by  an  act  of  injustice  for  which  George  Canning 
and  the  Court  of  Directors  atoned  twenty  years  after  by 
appointing  him  Governor-General. 

After  a  fortnight  off  Madras,  the  Union  once  more 
set  sail  under  the  convoy  of  the  Victor  sloop-of-war. 
i^Every  moment  the  young  scholar  had  sought  to  add  to 
his  knowledge  of  Hindustani  and  Persian.  He  changed 
his  first  native  servant  for  one  who  could  speak  Hindustani. 
He  drove  with  Dr.  Kerr  to  Mr,  Faulkner's,  the  Persian 
translator  to  Government.  '  We  had  some  useful  conver- 
sation about  the  languages.'  On  the  voyage  to  Calcutta, 
he  was  '  employed  in  learning  Bengali.  Passed  the  after- 
noon on  the  poop  reading  Sale's  Al  Coran!  Only 
missionary  thoughts  and  aspirations  filled  his  mind,  now 
despairing  of  his  own  fitness ;  now  refreshed  as  he  turned 
from  the  Church  Missionary  Society's  reports  to  the 
evangelical  prophecies  of  Malachi  ;  again  praying  for  the 


INDIA   AND    THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806      147 

young  missionaries  of  the  London  Society  as  he  passed 
Vizagapatam,  and  for  '  poor  India '  as  he  came  in  sight  of 
the  Jaganath  pagoda,  '  much  resembling  in  appearance 
Roche  Rock  in  Cornwall  ...  the  scene  presented  another 
specimen  of  that  tremendous  gloom  with  which  the  devil 
has  overspread  the  land.'  After  taking  a  pilot  on  board 
in  Balasore  Roads,  where  Carey  had  first  landed,  the  ship 
was  driven  out  to  sea  by  a  north-wester,  and  Henry 
Martyn  suffered  from  his  first  sunstroke.  In  three  days 
she  anchored  in  the  Hoogli,  above  Culpee,  and  on  May  1 3 
bumped  on  that  dreaded  shoal,  the  James  and  Mary. 
'The  captain  considered  the  vessel  as  lost.  Retired  as 
soon  as  possible  for  prayer,  and  found  my  soul  in  peace  at 
the  prospect  of  death.'  She  floated  off,  exchanging  most 
of  the  treasure  into  a  tender  which  lay  becalmed  off 
the  Garden  Reach  suburb,  then  '  very  beautiful.' 

Henry  Martyn  landed  at  Calcutta  in  the  height  of 
the  hot  season,  on  May  16,  1806.  Claudius  Buchanan 
had  passed  him  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hoogli,  setting  out 
on  the  tour  of  the  coasts  of  India,  which  resulted  in  the 
Christian  Researches.  David  Brown  was  in  his  country 
retreat  at  Aldeen,  near  Serampore. 

The  man  whom,  next  to  his  own  colleagues,  he  first 
sought  out  was  the  quondam  shoemaker  of  Hackleton,  and 
poor  Baptist  preacher  of  Moulton,  the  Bengali  missionary  to 
whose  success  Charles  Simeon  had  pointed  him  when  fresh 
from  the  triumph  of  Senior  Wrangler ;  the  apostle  then  forty- 
five  years  of  age,  who  was  busy  with  the  duties  of  Professor 
of  Sanskrit,  Bengali,  and  Marathi,  in  the  College  of  Fort 
William,  that  he  might  have  the  Bible  translated  into  all 
the  languages  of  Asia,  and  preached  in  all  the  villages  of 
North  India. 

L2 


"i-^    -A.. 


148  HENRY  RTARTYN 

1806,  ]\Iay  16. — Went  ashore  at  daylight  this  morning, 
and  with  some  difficulty  found  Carey  :  Messrs.  Brown  and 
Buchanan  being  both  absent  from  Calcutta.  With  him  I 
breakfasted,  joined  with  him  in  worship,  which  was  in 
Bengali  for  the  advantage  of  a  few  servants,  who  sat, 
however,  perfectly  unmoved.  I  could  not  help  contrasting 
them  with  the  slaves  and  Hottentots  at  Cape  Town,  whose 
hearts  seemed  to  burn  within  them.  After  breakfast  Carey 
began  to  translate,  with  a  Pandit,  from  a  Sanskrit  manuscript. 
Presently  after,  Dr.  Taylor  came  in.  I  had  engaged  a  boat 
to  go  to  Serampore,  when  a  letter  from  Mr.  Brown  found 
me  out,  and  directed  me  to  his  house  in  the  town,  where 
I  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  in  solitude,  and  more  com- 
fortably and  profitably  than  any  time  past.  I  enjoyed 
several  solemn  seasons  in  prayer,  and  more  lively  impres- 
sions from  God's  Word.  I  felt  elevated  above  those  dis- 
tressing fears  and  distractions  which  pride  and  worldliness 
engender  in  the  mind.  Employed  at  times  in  writing  to 
Mr.  Simeon,  Mr.  Brown's  moonshi ;  a  Brahmin  of  the  name 
of  B.  Roy  came  in  and  disputed  with  me  two  hours  about 
the  Gospel.  I  was  really  surprised  at  him  ;  he  spoke  Eng- 
lish very  well  and  possessed  more  acuteness,  good  sense, 
moderation,  and  acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures  than  I 
could  conceive  to  be  found  in  an  Indian.  He  spoke  with 
uncommon  energy  and  eloquence,  intending  to  show  that 
Christianity  and  Hinduism  did  not  materially  differ.  He 
asked  me  to  explain  my  system,  and  adduce  the  proofs  of 
it  from  the  Bible,  which  he  said  he  believed  was  the  Word 
of  God.  When  I  asked  him  about  his  idolatry,  he  asked 
in  turn  what  I  had  to  say  to  our  worshipping  Christ.  This 
led  to  inquiries  about  the  Trinity,  which,  after  hearing  what 
I  had  to  say,  he  observed  was  actually  the  Hindu  notion. 
I  explained  several  things  about  the  Jews  and  the  Old 
Testament,  about  which  he  wanted  information,  with  all 
which  he  was  amazingly  pleased.  I  feel  much  encouraged 
by  this  to  go  to   instruct   them.     1  see   that    they  are   a 


INDIA   AND   THE  EAST  IN  THE    YEAR   1806      149 

religious  people,  as  St.  Paul  called  the  Athenians,  and  my 
heart  almost  springs  at  the  thought  that  the  time  is 
ripening  for  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  to  come  in. 

May  17. — A  day  more  unprofitable  than  the  foregoing  ; 
the  depravity  of  my  heart,  as  it  is  in  its  natural  frame,  \ 
appeared  to  me  to-day  almost  unconquerable.     I  could  not,  I 
however  long  in  prayer,  keep  the  presence  of  God,  or  the 
power  of  the  world  to  come,  in  my  mind  at  all.     It  sunk 
down  to  its  most  lukewarm  state,  and  continued  in  general 
so,  in  spite  of  my  endeavours.     Oh,  how  I  need  a  deep 
heartrending  work  of  the  Spirit  upon  myself,  before  I  shall 
save  myself,  or  them  that  hear  me  !     What  I  hear  about  my 
future  destination  has  proved  a  trial  to  me  to-day.     My 
dear  brethren,  Brown  and  Buchanan,  wish  to  keep  me  here, 
as  I  expected,  and  the  Governor  accedes  to  their  wishes. 
I  have  a  great  many  reasons  for  not  liking  this  ;  I  almost 
think  that  to  be  prevented  going  among  the  heathen  as  a 
missionary  would  break  my  heart.     Whether  it  be  self-will 
or  aught  else,  I  cannot  yet  rightly  ascertain.     At  all  events 
I  must  learn  submission  to  everything.     In  the  multitude 
of  my  thoughts  Thy  comforts  delight  my  soul.    I  have  been 
running  the  hurried  round  of  thought  without  God.     I  have 
forgotten  that  He  ordereth  everything.    I  have  been  bearing 
the  burden  of  my  cares  myself,  instead  of  casting  them  all 
upon  Him.     Mr.  Brown  came  in  to-day  from  Serampore, 
and  gave  me  directions  how  to  proceed  ;  continued  at  home 
writing  to  E.     In  the  afternoon  went  on  board,  but  without 
being  able  to  get  my  things  away.     Much  of  the  rest  of 
the  day  passed  in  conversation  with  Mr.  Brown.     I  feel 
pressed  in  spirit  to  do  something  for  God.     Everybody  is 
diligent,  but  I  am  idle ;  all  employed  in  their  proper  work, 
but  I  tossed  in  uncertainty  ;  I  want  nothing  but  grace ;  I 
want  to  be  perfectly  holy,  and  to  save  myself  and  those  that^ 
hear  me.     I  have  hitherto  lived  to  little  purpose,  more  like 
a  clod  than  a  servant  of  God  ;  now  let  me  burn  out  for 
God. 


I50  HENRY  MARTYN 


CHAPTER  V 

CALCUTTA   AND    SERAMPORE,    1806 

y  *Now  let  me  burn  out  for  God ! '  Such  were  the  words  with 
which  Henry  Martyn  began  his  ministry  to  natives  and 
Europeans  in  North  India,  as  in  the  secrecy  of  prayer  he 
reviewed  his  first  two  days  in  Calcutta.  Chaplain  though 
he  was,  officially,  at  the  most  intolerant  time  of  the  East 
India  Company's  administration,  he  was  above  all  things  a 
missionary.  Charles  Simeon  had  chosen  him,  and  Charles 
Grant  had  sent  him  out,  for  this  as  well  as  his  purely 
professional  duty,  and  it  never  occurred  to  him  that  he  could 
be  anything  else.  He  burned  to  bring  all  men  to  the  same 
peace  with  God  and  service  to  Him  which  he  himself 
had  for  seven  years  enjoyed.  We  find  him  recording  his 
great  delight,  now  at  an  extract  sent  to  him  from  the  East 
India  Company's  Charter,  doubtless  the  old  one  from 
William  III.,  'authorising  and  even  requiring  me  to  teach 
the  natives,'  and  again  on  receiving  a  letter  from  Corrie, 
'exulting  with  thankfulness  and  joy  that  Dr.  Kerr  was 
preaching  the  Gospel.  Eight  such  chaplains  in  India  !  this 
is  precious  news  indeed.'  Even  up  to  the  present  time  no 
Christian  in  India  has  ever  recognised  so  fully,  or  carried 
out  in  a  brief  time  so  unrestingly,  his  duty  to  natives  and 
Europeans  alike  as  sinners  to  be  saved  by  Jesus  Christ  alone. 
Henry  Martyn's  first  Sunday  in  Calcutta  was  spent  in 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  151 

worship  in  St.  John's,  the  *  new  church/  when  Mr.  Jefiferies 
read  one  part  and  Mr.  Limerick  another  of  the  service,  and 
Mr.  Brown  preached.  Midday  was  spent  with  '  a  pious 
family  where  we  had  some  agreeable  and  religious  con- 
versation, but  their  wish  to  keep  me  from  the  work  of  the 
mission  and  retain  me  at  Calcutta  was  carried  farther  than 
mere  civility,  and  showed  an  extraordinary  unconcern  for 
the  souls  of  the  poor  heathens.'  In  the  evening,  though 
unwell  with  a  cold  and  sore  throat,  he  ventured  to  read  the 
service  in  the  mission  or  old  church  of  Kiernander.  He 
was  there  '  agreeably  surprised  at  the  number,  attention, 
and  apparent  liveliness  of  the  audience.  Most  of  the 
young  ministers  that  I  know  would  rejoice  to  come  from 
England  if  they  knew  how  attractive  every  circumstance  is 
respecting  the  church.'  Next  day  he  was  presented  at  the 
lev^e  of  Sir  George  Barlow,  acting  Governor-General,  'who, 
after  one  or  two  trifling  questions,  passed  on.'  He  then  spent 
some  time  in  the  College  of  Fort  William,  where  he  was 
shown  Tipoo's  library,  and  one  of  the  Mohammedan 
professors — a  colleague  of  Carey— chanted  the  Koran. 
Thence  he  was  rowed  with  the  tide,  in  an  hour  and  a  half, 
sixteen  miles  up  the  Hoogli  to  Aldeen,  the  house  of 
Rev.  David  Brown  in  the  suburb  of  Serampore,  which  be- 
came his  home  in  Lower  Bengal.  On  the  next  two  Sundays 
he  preached  in  the  old  church  of  Calcutta,  and  in  the  new 
church  'officiated  at  the  Sacrament  with  Mr.  Limerick.' 
It  was  on  June  8  that  he  preached  in  the  new  church,  for 
the  first  time,  his  famous  sermon  from  i  Cor.  i.  23,  24, 
on  '  Christ  crucified,  unto  the  Jews  a  stumblingblock,  and 
unto  the  Greeks  foolishness ;  hut  unto  them  wJiich  are 
called,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of  God,  and 
the  wisdom  of  God* 


152  HENRY  MARTYN 

This  is  his  own  account  of  the  immediate  result : 

\%o6,  June  8. — The  sermon  excited  no  small  ferment ; 
however,  after  some  looks  of  surprise  and  whispering,  the 
congregation  became  attentive  and  serious.  I  knew  what  I 
was  to  be  on  my  guard  against,  and  therefore,  that  I  might 
not  have  my  mind  full  of  idle  thoughts  about  the  opinions  of 
men,  I  prayed  both  before  and  after,  that  the  Word  might  be 
for  the  conversion  of  souls,  and  that  I  might  feel  indifferent, 
except  on  this  score. 

We  cannot  describe  the  sermon,  as  it  was  published 
after  his  death,  and  again  in  1 862,  more  correctly  than  by 
comparing  it  to  one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's,  save  that,  in  style, 
it  is  a  little  more  academic  and  a  little  less  Saxon  or 
homely.  But  never  before  had  the  high  officials  and 
prosperous  residents  of  Calcutta,  who  attended  the  church 
which  had  become  '  fashionable '  since  the  Marquess 
Wellesley  set  the  example  of  regular  attendance,  heard 
the  evangel  preached.  The  chaplains  had  been  and  were 
of  the  Arian  and  Pelagian  type  common  in  the  Church 
till  a  later  period.  They  at  once  commenced  an  as- 
sault on  their  young  colleague  and  on  the  doctrines  by 
which  Luther  and  Calvin  had  reformed  the  Churches  of 
Christendom.  This  was  the  conclusion  of  the  hated 
sermon : 

There  is,  in  every  congregation,  a  large  proportion  of 
Jews  and  Greeks.  There  are  persons  who  resemble  the 
Jews  in  self-righteousness  ;  who,  after  hearing  the  doctrines 
of  grace  insisted  on  for  years,  yet  see  no  occasion  at  all  for 
changing  the  ground  of  their  hopes.  They  seek  righteous- 
ness '  not  by  faith,  but  as  it  were  by  the  works  of  the  law : 
for  they  stumble  at  that  stumbling-stone '  (Rom.  ix.  32) ; 
or,  perhaps,  after  going  a  little  way  in  the  profession  of  the 
Gospel,  they  take  offence  at  the  rigour  of  the   practice 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,   1806  153 

which  we  require,  as  if  the  Gospel  did  not  enjoin  it.     '  This 
is  a  hard  saying,'  they  complain  ;  '  who  can  hear  it  ?  '  (John 
vi.    60),    and    thus   resemble   those   who   first    made   the 
complaint,  who 'went  back  and  walked  no  more  with  Him.' 
Others  come  to  carp  and  to  criticise.     While  heretics 
who  deny   the    Lord    that    bought   them,   open    infidels, 
professed  atheists,  grossly  wicked  men,  are  considered  as 
entitled  to  candour,  liberality,  and  respect,  they  are  pleased 
to    make    serious   professors   of    the    Gospel    exclusively 
objects  of  contempt,  and  set  down  their  discourses  on  the 
mysteries  of  faith  as  idle    and    senseless  jargon.     Alas  ! 
how  miserably  dark  and  perverse  must  they  be  who  think 
thus  of  that  Gospel  which  unites  all  the  power  and  wisdom 
of  God  in  it.     After  God  has  arranged  all  the  parts  of  His 
plan,  so  as  to  make  it  the  best  which  in  His  wisdom  could 
be  devised  for  the  restoration  of  man,  how  pitiable  their 
stupidity  and  ignorance  to  whom  it  is  foolishness !     And, 
let  us  add,  how  miserable  will  be  their  end  !  because  they 
not  only  are  condemned  already,  and  the  wrath  of  God 
abideth  on  them,  but  they  incur  tenfold  danger  :  they  not 
only  remain  without  a  remedy  to  their  maladies,  but  have 
the  guilt  of  rejecting  it  when  offered  to  them.     This  is 
their  danger,  that  there  is  always  a  stumbling-block  in  the 
way  :  the  further  they  go,  the  nearer  are  they  to  their  fall. 
They   are   always   exposed    to   sudden,   unexpected    de- 
struction.     They    cannot    foresee    one    moment    whether 
they  shall  stand  or  fall  the  next ;   and  when  they  do  fall 
they  fall  at  once  without  warning.     Their  feet  shall  slide 
in  due  time.     Just  shame  is  it  to  the  sons  of  men,  that  He 
whose  delight  it  was  to  do  them  good,  and  who  so  loved 
them  as  to  shed  His  blood  for  them,  should  have  so  many 
in  the  world  to  despise  and  reject  His  offers  ;  but  thus  is 
the  ancient  Scripture  fulfilled — '  The  natural  man  receiveth 
not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God '  (i  Cor.  ii.  14). 

Tremble  at  your  state,  all  ye   that  from  self-righteous- 
ness, or    pride,  or  unwillingness  to    follow    Him    in    the 


154  HENRY  MARTYN 

regeneration,  disregard  Christ !  Nothing  keeps  you  one 
moment  from  perdition  but  the  mere  sovereign  pleasure 
of  God.  Yet  suppose  not  that  we  take  pleasure  in  con- 
tradicting your  natural  sentiments  on  religion,  or  in  giving 
pain  by  forcing  offensive  truths  upon  your  attention — no  !  as 
the  ministers  of  joy  and  peace  we  rise  up  at  the  command 
of  God,  to  preach  Christ  crucified  to  you  all.  He  died  for 
His  bitterest  enemies  :  therefore,  though  ye  have  been 
Jews  or  Greeks,  self-righteous,  ignorant,  or  profane  —though 
ye  have  presumed  to  call  His  truths  in  question,  treated 
the  Bible  with  contempt,  or  even  chosen  to  prefer  an  idol 
to  the  Saviour — yet  return,  at  length,  before  you  die,  and 
God  is  willing  to  forgive  you. 

How  happy  is  the  condition  of  those  who  obey  the 
call  of  the  Gospel.  Their  hope  being  placed  on  that  way 
of  salvation  which  is  the  pozver  and  zvisdom  of  God,  on 
what  a  broad,  firm  basis  doth  it  rest !  Heaven  and  earth 
may  pass  away,  though  much  of  the  power  and  wisdom 
of  God  was  employed  in  erecting  that  fabric ;  but  the 
power  and  wisdom  themselves  of  God  must  be  cut  off 
from  His  immutable  essence,  and  pass  away,  before  one 
tittle  of  your  hope  can  fail.  Then  rejoice,  ye  children  of 
Wisdom,  by  whom  she  is  justified.  Happy  are  your  eyes, 
for  they  see  ;  and  your  ears,  for  they  hear  ;  and  the  things 
which  God  hath  hidden  from  the  wise  and  prudent.  He 
hath  revealed  unto  you.  Ye  were  righteous  in  your  own 
esteem  ;  but  ye  '  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency 
of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.'  Then  be  not 
ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  '  which  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation  unto  every  one  that  believeth ' ;  but 
continue  to  display  its  efficacy  by  the  holiness  of  your 
lives,  and  live  rejoicing  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God. 

The  opposition  of  the  officers  and  many  of  the  troops 
on  board  the  transport  had  made  the  preacher  familiar  with 
attack  and  misrepresentation,  but  not  less  faithful  in  ex- 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  155 

pounding  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  as  he  himself  had 
received  it  to  his  joy,  and  for  his  service  to  the  death.  But 
the  ministrations  of  David  Brown  for  some  years  might 
have  been  expected  to  have  made  the  civilians  and  mer- 
chants of  Calcutta  more  tolerant,  if  not  more  intelligent. 
They  were,  however,  incited  or  led  by  the  two  other  chap- 
lains thus : 

1806,  June  16. — Heard  that  Dr.  Ward  had  made  an 
intemperate  attack  upon  me  yesterday  at  the  new  church, 
and  upon  all  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  I  felt  like  the 
rest,  disposed  to  be  entertained  at  it ;  but  I  knew  it  to  be 
wrong,  and  therefore  found  it  far  sweeter  to  retire  and  pray, 
with  my  mind  fixed  upon  the  more  awful  things  of  another 
world. 

June  22. — Attended  at  the  new  church,  and  heard  Mr. 
Jefferies  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  I  had  laboured 
much  in  prayer  in  the  morning  that  God  would  be  pleased 
to  keep  my  heart  during  the  service  from  thinking  about 
men,  and  I  could  say  as  I  was  going,  '  I  will  go  up  to  Thy 
house  in  the  multitude  of  Thy  mercies,  and  in  Thy  fear  will 
I   worship   toward  Thy  holy  temple.'     In  public  worship 

1  was  rather  more  heavenly-minded  than  on  former 
occasions,  yet  still  vain  and  wandering.  At  night  preached 
on  John  x.  1 1  :  'I  am  the  good  shepherd  ; '  there  was  great 
attention.  Yet  felt  a  little  dejected  afterwards,  as  if  I 
always  preached  without  doing  good. 

July  6. — Laboured  to  have  my  mind  impressed  with 
holy  things,  particularly  because  1  expected  to  have  a  per- 
sonal attack  from  the  pulpit.     Mr.  Limerick  preached  from 

2  Pet.  i.  13,  and  spoke  with  sufficient  plainness  against  me 
and  my  doctrines.  Called  them  inconsistent,  extravagant, 
and  absurd.  He  drew  a  vast  variety  of  false  inferences 
from  the  doctrines,  and  thence  argued  against  the  doctrines 
themselves.     To  say  that  repentance  is  the    gift  of  God 


156  HENRY  MARTYN 

was  to  induce  men  to  sit  still  and  wait  for  God.  To  teach 
that  Nature  was  wholly  corrupt  was  to  lead  men  to  despair  ; 
that  men  thinking  the  righteousness  of  Christ  sufficient  to 
justify,  will  account  it  unnecessary  to  have  any  of  their 
own  :  this  last  assertion  moved  me  considerably,  and  I 
started  at  hearing  such  downright  heresy.  He  spoke  of 
me  as  one  of  those  who  understand  neither  what  they  say 
nor  whereof  they  affirm,  and  as  speaking  only  to  gratify 
self-sufficiency,  pride,  and  uncharitableness.  I  rejoiced  at 
having  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  afterwards,  as 
the  solemnities  of  that  blessed  ordinance  sweetly  tended  to 
soothe  the  asperities  and  dissipate  the  contempt  which  was 

rising  ;  and  I  think  I  administered  the  cup  to and 

with  sincere  good-will.    At  night  I  preached  on  John 

iv.  lo,  at  the  mission  church,  and,  blessed  be  God  !  with  an 

enlarged  heart.     I  saw in  tears,  and  that  encouraged 

me  to  hope  that  perhaps  some  were  savingly  affected,  but 
I  feel  no  desire  except  that  my  God  should  be  glorified. 
If  any  are  awakened  at  hearing  me,  let  me  not  hear  of  it 
if  I  should  glory. 

August  24, — At  the  new  church,  Mr.  Jefferies  preached. 
I  preached  in  the  evening  on  Matt.  xi.  28,  without  much 
heart,  yet  the  people  as  attentive  as  possible. 

August  25. — Called  on  Mr.  Limerick  and  Mr.  Birch; 
with  the  latter  I  had  a  good  deal  of  conversation  on  the 
practicability  of  establishing  schools,  and  uniting  in  a 
society.  An  officer  who  was  there  took  upon  him  to  call 
in  question  the  lawfulness  of  interfering  with  the  religion 
of  the  natives,  and  said  that  at  Delhi  the  Christians  were 
some  of  the  worst  people  there.  I  was  glad  at  the  prospect 
of  meeting  with  these  Christians.  The  Lord  enabled  me 
to  speak  boldly  to  the  man,  and  to  silence  him.  From 
thence  I  went  to  the  Governor-General's  lev^e,  and  re- 
ceived great  attention  from  him,  as,  indeed,  from  most 
others  here.  Perhaps  it  is  a  snare  of  Satan  to  stop  my 
mouth,  and  make  me    unwilling   to    preach    faithfully  to 


CALCUTTA    AND  SERAMPORE,   1806  157 

them.  The  Lord  have  mercy,  and  quicken  me  to  dili- 
gence. 

August  26. — At  night  Marshman  came,  and  our  con- 
versation was  very  refreshing  and  profitable.  Truly  the 
love  of  God  is  the  happiness  of  the  soul !  My  soul  felt 
much  sweetness  at  this  thought,  and  breathed  after  God. 
At  midnight  Marshman  came  to  the  pagoda,  and  awakened 
me  with  the  information  that  Sir  G.  Barlow  had  sent  word 
to  Carey  not  to  disperse  any  more  tracts  nor  send  out 
more  native  brethren,  or  in  any  way  interfere  with  the 
prejudices  of  the  natives.  We  did  not  know  what  to  make 
of  this  ;  the  subject  so  excited  me  that  I  was  again  deprived 
of  necessary  sleep. 

August  28. — Enjoyed  much  comfort  in  my  soul  this 
morning,  and  ardour  for  my  work,  but  afterwards  conscious- 
ness of  indolence  and  unprofitableness  made  me  uneasy. 
In  the  evening  Mr.  Marshman,  Ward,  Moore,  and  Rowe 
came  up  and  talked  with  us  on  the  Governor's  prohibition 
of  preaching  the  Gospel,  &c.  Mr.  Brown's  advice  was  full 
of  wisdom,  and  weighed  with  them  all.  I  was  exceedingly 
excited,  and  spoke  with  vehemence  against  the  measures 
of  government,  which  afterwards  filled  me  justly  with 
shame. 

The  earnestness  of  the  young  chaplain  was  such  that 
'the  people  of  Calcutta,'  or  all  the  Evangelicals,  joined 
even  by  the  Baptist  missionaries  at  Serampore,  gave  him 
no  rest  that  he  might  consent  to  become  minister  of  the 
mission  or  old  church,  with  a  chaplain's  salary  and  house. 
Dr.  Marshman  urged  that  thus  he  might  create  a  missionary 
spirit  and  organise  missionary  undertakings  of  more  value 
to  the  natives  than  the  preaching  of  any  one  man.  But 
he  remained  deaf  to  the  temptation,  while  he  passed  on  the 
call  to  Cousin  T.  Hitchins  and  Emma,  at  Plymouth.  His 
call  was  not  to  preach  even  in  the  metropolis  of  British 


isS  HENkV  MARTVN 

India,  the  centre  of  Southern  Asia  ;  but,  through  their  own 
languages,  to  set  in  motion  a  force  which  must  win  North 
India,  Arabia,  and  Persia  to  Christ,  while  by  his  death  he 
should  stir  up  the  great  Church  of  England  to  do  its  duty. 

Serampore  was  the  scene  of  his  praying,  his  com- 
muning, and  his  studying,  while  every  Sunday  was  given 
to  his  duties  in  Calcutta,  as  he  waited  five  months  for  his 
first  appointment  to  a  military  station.  David  Brown  had 
not  long  before  acquired  Aldeen  House,  with  its  tropical 
garden  and  English-like  lawn  sloping  down  to  the  river, 
nearly  opposite  the  Governor-General's  summer-house  and 
park  of  Barrackpore.  Connected  with  the  garden  was  the 
old  and  architecturally  picturesque  temple  of  the  idol 
Radha-bullub,  which  had  been  removed  farther  inland 
because  the  safety  of  the  shrine  was  imperilled  by  the  river. 
But  the  temple  still  stands,  in  spite  of  the  rapid  Hoogli 
at  its  base,  and  the  more  destructive  peepul  tree  which  has 
spread  over  its  massive  dome.  In  1854,  when  the  present 
writer  first  visited  the  now  historic  spot,  even  the  platform 
above  the  river  was  secure,  but  that  has  since  disappeared, 
with  much  of  the  fine  brick  moulding  and  tracery  work. 
Here  was  the  young  saint's  home ;  ever  since  it  has  been 
known  as  Henry  Martyn's  Pagoda,  and  has  been  an  object 
of  interest  to  hundreds  of  visitors  from  Europe  and  America 

Henry  Martyn  became  one  of  David  Brown's  family, 
with  whom  he  kept  up  the  most  loving  correspondence 
almost  to  his  death.  But  he  spent  even  more  time  with 
the  already  experienced  missionaries  who  formed  the 
famous  brotherhood  a  little  farther  up  the  right  bank  of 
the  Hoogli.  Carey  thus  wrote  of  him,  knowing  nothing 
of  the  fact  that  it  was  his  own  earlier  reports  which, 
in    Simeon's   hands,  had    first  led   Martyn  to   desire   the 


CALCUTTA   AND   SERAMPORE,    1806 


161 


missionary  career  :  '  A  young  clergyman,  Mr.  Martyn,  is 
lately  arrived,  who  is  possessed  of  a  truly  missionary  spirit. 
He  lives  at  present  with  Mr.  Brown,  and  as  the  image  or 
shadow  of  bigotry  is  not  known  among  us  here,  we  take 
sweet    counsel  together  and  go  to  the  house  of   God  as 


A  BRICK   FROM   HENRY   MARTYN'S   PAGODA 


friends.'  Later  on,  the  founder  of  the  Modern  Missionary 
enterprise,  who  desired  to  send  a  missionary  to  every  great 
centre  in  North  India,  declared  of  the  Anglican  chaplain 
that,  wherever  he  went  no  other  missionary  would  be 
needed.     The  late  Mr.  John  Clark  Marshman,  C.S.I.,  who 

M 


1 62  HENRY  MARTY N 

as  a  lad  saw  them  daily,  wrote :  '  A  strong  feeling  of 
sympathy  drew  him  into  a  close  intimacy  with  Dr.  Marsh- 
man,  and  they  might  be  often  seen  walking  arm  in  arm,  for 
hours  together,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  between  Aldeen 
House  and  the  Mission  House.'  To  the  last  he  addressed 
Dr.  Marshman,  in  frequent  letters,  as  his  'dear  brother,' 
anticipating  the  catholic  tenderness  of  Bishop  Heber.^ 
Martyn  attended  those  family  lectures  of  Ward  on  the 
Hindus  which  resulted  in  his  great  book  on  the  subject. 
In  the  Pagoda,  '  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward  joined  in  the 
same  chorus  of  praise  with  Brown,  Martyn,  and  Corrie.' 
Martyn  himself  gives  us  these  exquisite  unconscious 
pictures  of  Christian  life  in  Serampore,  in  which  all  true 
missionaries  face  to  face  with  the  common  enemy  have 
followed  the  giants  of  those  days. 

1806,  May  19. — In  the  cool  of  the  evening  we  walked 
to  the  m.ission-house,  a  few  hundred  yards  off,  and  I  at  last 
saw  the  place  about  which  I  have  so  long  read  with  pleasure. 
I  was  introduced  to  all  the  missionaries.  We  sat  down 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  tea,  at  several  long  tables 
in  an  immense  room.  After  this  there  was  evening  service 
in  another  room  adjoining,  by  Mr.  Ward.  Mr.  Marshman 
then  delivered  his  lecture;  on  grammar.  As  his  observations 
were  chiefly  confined  to  the  Greek,  and  seemed  intended 
for  the  young  missionaries,  I  was  rather  disappointed, 
having  expected  to  hear  something  about  the  Oriental 
languages.  With  Mr.  M.  alone  I  had  much  conversation, 
and  received  the  first  encouragement  to  be  a  missionary 
that  I  have  met  with  since  I  came  to  this  country.  I 
blessed  God  in  my  heart  for  this  seasonable  supply  of 
refreshment.     Finding   my  sore  throat  and  cough  much 

'    The  Life  and  Times  of  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward,  London,  lS^9. 
The  Life  of  William  Carey  (John  Murray),  2nd  edition,  1887. 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  163 

increased,  I  thought  there  might  be  some  danger,  and  felt 
rather  low  at  the  prospect  of  death.  I  could  scarcely  tell 
why.  The  constant  uneasiness  I  am  in  from  the  bites  of 
the  mosquitoes  made  me  rather  fretful  also.  My  habitation 
assigned  me  by  Mr.  Brown  is  a  pagoda  in  his  grounds,  on 
the  edge  of  the  river.  Thither  I  retired  at  night,  and  really 
felt  something  like  superstitious  dread  at  being  in  a  place 
once  inhabited,  as  it  were,  by  devils,  but  yet  felt  disposed 
to  be  triumphantly  joyful  that  the  temple  where  they  were 
worshipped  was  become  Christ's  oratory.  I  prayed  out 
aloud  to  my  God,  and  the  echoes  returned  from  the  vaulted 
roof  Oh,  may  I  so  pray  that  the  dome  of  heaven  may 
resound  !  I  like  my  dwelling  much,  it  is  so  retired  and 
free  from  noise  ;  it  has  so  many  recesses  and  cells  that  I 
can  hardly  find  my  way  in  and  out. 

May  20. —  Employed  in  preparing  a  sermon  for  to- 
morrow, and  while  walking  about  for  this  purpose,  m}' 
body  and  mind  active,  my  melancholy  was  a  little  relieved 
by  the  hope  that  I  should  not  be  entirely  useless  as  a 
missionary.  In  the  evening  I  walked  with  Mr.  Brown,  to  see 
the  evening  worship  at  a  pagoda  whither  they  say  the  god 
who  inhabited  my  pagoda  retired  some  years  ago.  As  we 
walked  through  the  dark  wood  which  everywhere  covers 
the  country,  the  cymbals  and  drums  struck  up,  and  nevei 
did  sounds  go  through  my  heart  with  such  horror  in  my 
life.  The  pagoda  was  in  a  court,  surrounded  by  a  wall, 
and  the  way  up  to  it  was  by  a  flight  of  steps  on  each  side. 
The  people  to  the  number  of  about  fifty  were  standing  on 
the  outside,  and  playing  the  instruments.  In  the  centre  of 
the  building  was  the  idol,  a  little  ugly  black  image,  about 
two  feet  high,  with  a  few  lights  burning  round  him.  At 
intervals  they  prostrated  themselves  with  their  foreheads  to 
the  earth.  I  shivered  at  being  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
hell ;  my  heart  was  ready  to  burst  at  the  dreadful  state  to 
which  the  Devil  had  brought  my  poor  fellow-creatures.  I 
would  have  given  the  world  to  have  known  the  language, 


i64  HENRY  MARTYN 

to  have  preached  to  them.  At  this  moment  Mr.  Marshman 
arrived,  and  my  soul  exulted  that  the  truth  would  now  be 
made  known.  He  addressed  the  Brahmins  with  a  few 
questions  about  the  god  ;  they  seemed  to  be  all  agreed 
with  Mr.  Marshman,  and  quite  ashamed  at  being  interro- 
gated, when  they  knew  they  could  give  no  answer.  They 
were  at  least  mute,  and  would  not  reply ;  and  when  he 
continued  speaking  they  struck  up  again  with  their  de- 
testable music,  and  so  silenced  him.  We  walked  away  in 
sorrow,  but  the  scene  we  had  witnessed  gave  rise  to  a  very 
profitable  conversation,  which  lasted  some  hours.  Marsh- 
man in  conversation  with  me  alone  sketched  out  what  he 
thought  would  be  the  most  useful  plan  for  me  to  pursue  in 
India  ;  which  would  be  to  stay  in  Calcutta  a  year  to  learn 
the  language,  and  when  I  went  up  the  country  to  take  one 
or  two  native  brethren  with  me,  to  send  them  forth,  and 
preach  occasionally  only  to  confirm  their  word,  to  establish 
schools,  and  visit  them.  He  said  I  should  do  far  more 
good  in  the  way  of  influence  than  merely  by  actual 
preaching.  After  all,  whatever  God  may  appoint,  prayer 
is  the  great  thing.  Oh,  that  I  may  be  a  man  of  prayer ; 
my  spirit  still  struggles  for  deliverance  from  all  my 
corruptions. 

May  22, — In  our  walk  at  sunset,  met  Mr.  Marshman, 

with    whom    I    continued    talking    about    the    languages. 

Telling  Mr.  Brown  about  my  Cambridge  honours,  I  found 

my  pride  stirred,  and  bitterly  repented  having  said  any- 

^^hing  about  it.     Surely  the  increase  of  humility  need  not 

VI  be  neglected  when  silence  may  do  it. 
""  May  23. — Was  in  general  in  a  spiritual,  happy  frame 
the  whole  day,  which  I  cannot  but  ascribe  to  my  being 
more  diligent  and  frequent  in  prayer  over  the  Scriptures, 
so  that  it  is  the  neglect  of  this  duty  that  keeps  my  soul  so 
low.  Began  the  Bengali  grammar,  and  got  on  consider- 
ably. Continued  my  letters  to  Mr.  Simeon  and  Emma. 
At  night  we  attended  a  conference  of  the  missionaries  on 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  165 

this  subject :  *  Whether  God  could  save  sinners  without 
the  death  of  Christ'  Messrs.  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward 
spoke,  Mr.  Brown  and  myself.  I  offered  what  might  be 
said  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  question  to  that  which  the 
rest  took,  to  show  that  He  might  have  saved  them  without 
Christ.  About  fourteen  of  the  Bengali  brethren  were 
present  and  spoke  on  the  subject.     Ram  Roteen  prayed. 

Monday,  May  26. — Went  up  to  Serampore   with  Mr. 
Brown,  with  whom   I   had  much  enlivening   conversation. 
Why  cannot  I  be  like  Fletcher  and   Brainerd,  and  those  | 
men  of  modern   times.-'      Is  anything  too   hard  for  the; 
Lord  ?     Cannot  my  stupid  stony  heart  be  made  to  flame  \  ^ 
with  love  and  zeal  ?     What  is  it  that  bewitches  me,  that  I 
live  such  a  dying  life?     My  soul  groans  under  its  bondage. ' 
In  the  evening  Marshman  called  ;  I  walked  back  with  him, 
and  was  not  a  little  offended  at  his  speaking  against  the 
use  of  a  liturgy.     I  returned  full  of  grief  at  the  offences 
which  arise  amongst  men,  and  determined  to  be  more  alone 
with  the  blessed  God, 

May  29. — Had  some  conversation  with  Marshman 
alone  on  the  prospects  of  the  Gospel  in  this  country,  and 
the  state  of  religion  in  our  hearts,  for  which  I  felt  more 
anxious.  Notwithstanding,  I  endeavoured  to  guard  against 
prating  only  to  display  my  experience  ;  I  found  myself 
somewhat  ruffled  by  the  conversation,  and  derived  no 
benefit  from  it,  but  felt  desirous  only  to  get  away  from  the 
world,  and  to  cease  from  men  ;  my  pride  was  a  little  hurt 
by  Marshman's  questioning  me  as  the  merest  novice.  He 
probably  sees  farther  into  me  than  I  see  into  myself 

June  12. — Still  exceedingly  feeble  ;  endeavoured  to 
think  on  a  subject,  and  was  much  irritated  at  being  unable 
to  write  a  word.  Mrs.  Brown,  and  afterwards  Mr.  Brown, 
paid  me  a  visit.  I  came  into  the  house  to  dinner,  but  while 
there  I  felt  as  if  fainting  or  dying,  and  indeed  really  thought 
I  was  departing  this  life.  I  was  brought  back  again  to  the 
pagoda,  and  then  on  my  bed  I  began  to  pray  as  on  the 


l66  HENRY  MARTYN 

verge  of  eternity.  The  Lord  was  pleased  to  break  my 
hard  heart,  and  deliver  me  from  that  satanic  spirit  of  light 
and  arrogant  unconcern  about  which  I  groaned  out  my 
complaint  to  God.  From  this  time  I  lay  in  tears,  inter- 
ceding for  the  unfortunate  natives  of  this  country  ;  thinking 
with  myself,  that  the  most  despised  Soodra  of  India  was 
of  as  much  value,  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  the  King  of  Great 
Britain  :  through  the  rest  of  the  day  my  soul  remained  in 
a  spirit  of  contrition. 

Jime  14. — A  pundit  came  to  me  this  morning,  but  after 
having  my  patience  tried  with  him,  I  was  obliged  to  send 
him  away,  as  he  knew  nothing  about  Hindustani.  I  was 
exceedingly  puzzled  to  know  how  I  should  ever  be  able  to 
acquire  any  assistance  in  learning  these  languages.  Alas ! 
J  what  trials  are  awaiting  me.  Sickness  and  the  climate 
have  increased  the  irritability  of  my  temper,  and  occasions 
of  trying  it  occur  constantly.  In  the  afternoon,  while 
pleading  for  a  contrite  tender  spirit,  but  in  vain,  I  was 
obliged  to  cease  praying  for  that  tenderness  of  spirit,  and 
to  go  on  to  other  petitions,  and  by  this  means  was  brought 
to  a  more  submissive  state.    Officiated  at  evening  worship. 

Jmie  15. — Found  my  mouth  salivated  this  morning 
from  calomel.  Attended  the  morning  service  at  the  mission- 
house  ;  Mr.  Marsdon  preached.  After  service  Marshman 
and  Carey  talked  with  me  in  the  usual  cheering  way  about 
missionary  things,  but  my  mind  was  dark.  In  the  after- 
noon was  rather  more  comfortable  in  prayer,  and  at  evening 
worship  was  assisted  to  go  through  the  duties  of  it  with 
cheerfulness.     Read  some  of  Whitfield's  Sermons. 

June  19. — Rose  in  gloom,  but  that  was  soon  dissipated 
by  consideration  and  prayer.  Began  after  breakfast  for 
the  first  time  with  a  moonshi,  a  Cashmerian  Brahmin, 
with  whom  I  was  much  pleased.  In  the  boat,  back  to 
Serampore,  learning  roots.  Officiated  at  evening  worship. 
Walked  at  night  with  Marshman  and  Mr.  Brown  to  the 
bazaar  held  at  this  time  of  the  year,  for  the  use  of  the 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,   1806  167 

people  assembling  at  Juggernaut.  The  booth  or  carriage 
was  fifty  feet  high,  in  appearance  a  wooden  temple,  with 
rows  of  wheels  through  the  centre  of  it.  By  the  side  of 
this  a  native  brother  who  attended  Marshman  gave  away 
papers,  and  this  gave  occasion  to  disputes,  which  continued 
a  considerable  time  between  Marshman  and  the  Brahmins. 

Felt  somewhat  hurt  at  night  at 's  insinuating  that  my 

low  spirits,  as  he  called  it,  was  owing  to  want  of  diligence. 
God  help  me  to  be  free  from  this  charge,  and  yet  not 
desirous  to  make  a  show  before  men.  May  I  walk  in 
sweet  and  inward  communion  with  Him,  labouring  with 
never-ceasing  diligence  and  care,  and  assured  that  I  shall 
not  live  or  labour  in  vain. 

June  24. — At  daylight  left  Calcutta,  and  had  my  temper 
greatly  exercised  by  the  neglects  and  improper  behaviour 
of  the  servants  and  boatmen.  Arrived  at  Serampore  at 
eight,  and  retired  to  my  pagoda,  intending  to  spend  the 
day  in  fasting  and  prayer  ;  but  after  a  prayer  in  which  the 
Lord  helped  me  to  review  with  sorrow  the  wickedness  of 
my  past  life,  I  was  so  overcome  with  fatigue  that  I  fell 
asleep,  and  thus  lost  the  whole  morning  ;  so  I  gave  up  my 
original  intention.  Passed  the  afternoon  in  translating  the 
second  chapter  of  St.  Matthew  into  Hindustani.  Had  a 
long  conversation  at  night  with  Marshman,  whose  desire 
now  is  that  I  should  stay  at  Serampore,  give  myself  to  the 
study  of  Hindustani  for  the  sake  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
be  ready  to  supply  the  place  of  Carey  and  Marshman  in 
the  work,  should  they  be  taken  off ;  and  for  another  reason 
— that  I  might  awaken  the  attention  of  the  people  of  God 
in  Calcutta  more  to  missionary  subjects.  I  was  struck 
with  the  importance  of  having  proper  persons  here  to 
supply  the  place  of  these  two  men  ;  but  could  not  see  that 
it  was  the  path  God  designed  for  me.  I  felt,  however,  a 
most  impatient  desire  that  some  of  my  friends  should  come 
out  and  give  themselves  to  the  work  ;  for  which  they  are 
so  much  more  fit  in  point  of  learning  than  any  of  the 


i68  HENRY  MARTYN 

Dissenters  are,  and  could  not  bear  that  a  work  of  such 
stupendous  magnitude  should  be  endangered  by  their  neg- 
lect and  love  of  the  world.  Marshman  recommended  that 
the  serious  people  in  Calcutta  should  unite  in  a  society  for 
the  support  of  missions,  and  each  subscribe  fifty  rupees  a 
month  for  their  maintenance.  Ten  members  with  this 
subscription  could  support  sixty  or  seventy  native  brethren. 
He  wished  me  also  to  see  the  duty  of  their  all  remaining 
in  the  country,  learning  the  language,  and  instructing  their 
servants.  My  mind  was  so  filled  and  excited  by  the  first 
part  of  our  conversation,  that  I  could  not  sleep  for  many 
hours  after  going  to  bed.  He  told  me  that  the  people  were 
surfeited  with  the  Gospel,  and  that  they  needed  to  be 
exhorted  to  duty. 

June  26. — Employed  in  translating  St.  Matthew  into 
Hindustani,  and  reading  Mirza's  translation  ;  afterwards 
had  moonshi  a  little.  In  the  afternoon  walked  with  Mr. 
Brown  to  see  Juggernaut's  car  drawn  back  to  its  pagoda. 
Many  thousands  of  people  were  present,  rending  the  air 
with  acclamations.  The  car  with  the  tower  was  decorated 
with  a  vast  number  of  flags,  and  the  Brahmins  were  pass- 
ing to  and  fro  through  the  different  compartments  of  it, 
catching  the  offerings  of  fruit,  cowries,  &c.,  that  were 
thrown  up  to  the  god,  for  which  they  threw  down  in  return 
small  wreaths  of  flowers,  which  the  people  wore  round 
their  necks  and  in  their  hair.  When  the  car  stopped  at 
the  pagoda,  the  god  and  two  attending  deities  were  let 
down  by  ropes,  muffled  up  in  red  cloths,  a  band  of  singers 
with  drums  and  cymbals  going  round  the  car  while  this 
was  performed.  Before  the  stumps  of  images,  for  they 
were  not  better,  some  of  the  people  prostrated  themselves, 
striking  the  ground  twice  with  their  foreheads  ;  this  ex- 
cited more  horror  in  me  than  I  can  well  express,  and  I 
was  about  to  stammer  out  in  Hindustani,  '  Why  do  ye 
these  things  ?  '  and  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The  words  were 
on  my  lips — though  if  I  had  spoken  thousands  would  have 


CALCUTTA   AND   SERAMPORE,    1806  169 

crowded  round  me,  and  I  should  not  have  been  understood. 
However,  I  felt  my  spirit  more  inflamed  with  zeal  than  I 
ever  conceived  it  would  be  ;  and  I  thought  that  if  I  had( 
words  I  would  preach  to  the  multitudes  all  the  day,  if  L 
lost  my  life  for  it.  It  was  curious  how  the  women  clasped 
their  hands,  and  lifted  them  up  as  if  in  the  ecstasy  of  devo- 
tion, while  Juggernaut  was  tumbled  about  in  the  most 
clumsy  manner  before  their  eyes.  I  thought  with  some 
sorrow  that  Satan  may  exert  the  same  influence  in  exciting 
apparently  religious  affections  in  professors  of  the  Gospel, 
in  order  to  deceive  souls  to  their  eternal  ruin.  Dr.  Taylor 
and  Mr.  Moore  joined  us,  and  distributed  tracts.  Mr. 
Ward,  we  heard,  was  at  a  distance  preaching.  On  our 
return  we  met  Marshman  going  upon  the  same  errand. 
In  evening  worship  my  heart  was  rather  drawn  out  for  the 
heathen,  and  my  soul  in  general  through  the  day  enjoyed 
a  cheering  sense  of  God's  love.  Marshman  joined  us 
again,  and  our  conversation  was  about  supporting  some 
native  missions. 

June  30.— Went  up  to  Serampore  in  the  boat,  learning 
roots.  Spent  the  afternoon  chiefly  in  prayer,  of  which  my 
soul  stood  greatly  in  need  through  the  snares  into  which 
my  heart  had  been  falling.  Called  at  the  mission-hou.se, 
and  saw  Mr.  Marsdon  previous  to  the  commencement  of 
his  missionary  career.  Now  the  plans  of  God  are,  I  trust, 
taking  another  step  forward. 

July  2. — Mr.  Brown  proposed  a  prayer  meeting  between 
ourselves  and  the  missionaries  previous  to  the  departure 
of  Dr.  Taylor  for  Surat.  It  was  a  season  of  grace  to 
my  soul,  for  some  sense  of  the  vast  importance  of  the 
occasion  dwelt  upon  my  mind  in  prayer,  and  I  desired 
earnestly  to  live  zealously,  labouring  for  souls  in  every 
possible  way,  with  more  honesty  and  openness.  In  the 
evening  went  to  Marshman,  and  proposed  it.  There  were 
at  his  house  many  agreeable  sights ;  one  pundit  was 
translating  Scripture  into  Sanskrit,  another  into  Guzerati, 


\7o  HENRY  MARTYN 

and  a  table  was  covered  with  materials  for  a  Chinese 
dictionary.  Employed  with  moonshi  in  Hindu  Story- 
teller, and  in  learning  to  write  the  Persian  characters. 

July  3. — Rose  with  some  happiness  in  my  soul,  and 
delight  in  the  thought  of  an  increase  of  labour  in  the 
Church  of  God.  Employed  morning  as  usual,  and  in 
thinking  of  subject  for  sermon.  Was  detained  in  the 
house  at  a  time  when  I  wanted  prayer.  In  the  evening 
walked  with  the  family  through  Serampore,  the  natives 
part.  At  night  we  had  a  delightful  spiritual  conversation. 
Thus  my  time  passes  most  agreeably  in  this  dear  family. 
Lord,  let  me  be  willing  to  leave  it  and  the  world  with  joy. 

July  8. — Reading  with  moonshi  all  the  morning. 
Spent  the  afternoon  in  reading  and  prayer,  as  preparatory 
to  a  meeting  of  the  missionaries  at  night.  At  eight,  ten 
of  us  met  in  my  pagoda.  It  was,  throughout,  a  soul- 
refreshing  ordinance  to  me.  I  felt  as  I  wished,  as  if  having 
done  with  the  world,  and  standing  on  the  very  verge  of 
heaven,  rejoicing  at  the  glorious  work  which  God  will 
accomplish  on  the  earth.  The  Lord  will,  I  hope,  hear  our 
prayers  for  our  dear  brother,  on  whose  account  we  met, 
previous  to  his  departure  for  Surat.  An  idea  thrown  out 
by  Carey  pleased  me  very  much,  not  on  account  of  its 
practicability,  but  its  grandeur,  i.e.  that  there  should  be  an 
annual  meeting,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  of  all  the 
missionaries  in  the  world. 

July  9. — Dull  and  languid  from  the  exertions  and  late 
hours  of  yesterday.  Reading  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
in  the  Hindustani  Testament,  with  moonshi.  In  the 
evening  went  to  the  mission-house,  drank  tea,  and  attended 
their  worship.  These  affectionate  souls  never  fail  to 
mention  me  particularly  in  their  prayers,  but  I  am  grieved 
that  they  so  mistake  my  occasional  warmth  for  zeal.  It 
is  one  of  the  things  in  which  I  am  most  low  and  backward, 
as  the  Lord,  who  seeth  in  secret,  knows  too  well.  Oh, 
then,  may  any  who  think   it  worth  while  to  take  up  my 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,   1806  171 

name  into  their  lips,  pray  for  the  beginning  rather  than  the 
continuance  of  zeal  !  Marshman,  in  my  walk  with  him, 
kindly  assured  me  of  his  great  regard  and  union  of  heart 
with  me.  I  would  that  I  had  more  gratitude  to  God,  for 
so  putting  it  into  the  hearts  of  His  people  to  show  regard 
to  one  so  undeserving  of  it.  At  night  had  much  nearness 
to  God  in  prayer.  I  found  it  sweet  to  my  spirit  to  reflect 
on  my  being  a  pilgrim  on  earth,  with  Christ  for  my  near 
and  dear  friend,  and  found  myself  unwilling  to  leave  off 
my  prayer. 

July  10. — Employed  during  the  morning  with  moonshi. 
At  morning  and  evening  worship  enjoyed  freedom  of  access 
to  God  in  prayer.  Mr.  Brown's  return  in  the  evening,  with 
another  Christian  friend,  added  greatly  to  my  pleasure. 
Marshman  joined  us  at  night,  but  these  enjoyments,  from 
being  too  eagerly  entered  into,  often  leave  my  soul  carnally 
delighted  only,  instead  of  bringing  me  nearer  to  God. 
Wrote  sermon  at  night, 

July  1 2. —  Most  of  this  morning  employed  about  sermon. 
In  the  afternoon  went  down  to  Calcutta  with  Mr.  Brown 
and  all  his  family  ;  we  passed  the  time  very  agreeably  in 
singing  hymns.  Found  Europe  letters  on  our  arrival,  but 
were  disappointed  in  not  finding  Corrie  or  Parson  in  the 
list  of  passengers.  My  letters  were  from  Lydia,  T.  H.  and 
Emma,  Mr.  Simeon,  and  Sargent.  All  their  first  letters 
had  been  taken  in  the  Bell  Packet.  I  longed  to  see 
Lydia's,  but  the  Lord  saw  it  good,  no  doubt,  not  to  suffer 
it  to  arrive.  The  one  I  did  receive  from  her  was  very 
animating,  and  showed  the  extraordinary  zeal  and  activity 
of  her  mind.  Mr.  Simeon's  letter  contained  her  praises, 
and  even  he  seemed  to  regret  that  I  had  gone  without  her. 
My  thoughts  were  so  occupied  with  these  letters  that  I 
could  get  little  or  no  sleep. 

July  13.  (Sunday.)  —  Talked  to  Mr.  Brown  about 
Lydia,  and  read  her  letter  to  him.  He  strongly  recom- 
mended the  measure  of  endeavouring  to  bring  her  here, 


172  HENRY  MARTYN 

and  was  clear  that  my  future  situation  in  the  country  would 
be  such  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  be  married.  A  letter 
from  Colonel  Sandys,  which  he  opened  afterwards,  spoke 
in  the  highest  terms  of  her.  The  subject  of  marriage  was 
revived  in  my  mind,  but  I  feel  rather  a  reluctance  to  it. 
I  enjoy  in  general  such  sweet  peace  of  mind,  from  con- 
sidering myself  a  stranger  upon  earth,  unconnected  with 
any  persons,  unknown,  forgotten,  that  were  I  never  thrown 
into  any  more  trying  circumstances  than  I  am  in  at  present, 
no  change  could  add  to  my  happiness.  At  the  new  church 
this  morning,  had  the  happiness  of  hearing  Mr.  Jefferies 
preach.  I  trust  God  will  graciously  keep  him,  and  instruct 
him,  and  make  him  another  witness  of  Jesus  in  this  place. 
My  heart  was  greatly  refreshed,  and  rejoiced  at  it  all  the 
day.  At  night  preached  at  the  missionary  church,  on 
Eph.  ii.  1-3,  to  a  small  congregation.  Sat  up  late  with 
Mr.  Brown,  considering  the  same  subject  as  we  had  been 
conversing  on  before,  and  it  dwelt  so  much  on  my  mind 
that  I  got  hardly  any  sleep  the  whole  night. 

July  14. — The  same  subject  engrosses  my  whole  thoughts. 
Mr.  Brown's  arguments  appear  so  strong  that  my  mind  is 
almost  made  up  to  send  for  Lydia.  I  could  scarcely  have 
any  reasonable  doubts  remaining,  that  her  presence  would 
most  abundantly  promote  the  ends  of  the  mission. 

July  15. — Most  of  the  day  with  moonshi ;  at  intervals, 
thinking  on  subject  for  sermon.  My  affections  seemed  to 
be  growing  more  strong  towards  Lydia  than  I  could  wish, 
as  I  fear  my  judgment  will  no  longer  remain  unbiassed. 
The  subject  is  constantly  on  my  mind,  and  imagination 
heightens  the  advantages  to  be  obtained  from  her  presence. 
And  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  such  a  sweet  happiness 
in  living  unconnected  with  any  creature,  and  hastening 
through  this  life  with  not  one  single  attraction  to  detain 
my  desires  here,  that  I  am  often  very  unwilling  to  exchange 
a  life  of  celibacy  for  one  of  which  I  know  nothing,  except 
that  it  is  in  general  a  life  of  care. 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  173 

July  16. —  Morning  with  moonshi ;  afterwards  prepar- 
ing myself  for  church.  Preached  at  night,  at  missionary 
church,  on  Isa.  Ixiii.  i.  Both  in  prayers  and  sermon  I 
felt  my  heart  much  more  affected  than  I  expected,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  some  impression  on  a  few  of  the  people.  I  feel 
to  be  thankful  to  God,  and  grateful  to  the  people,  that  they 
continue  to  hear  me  with  such  attention.  My  thoughts  this"^ 
day  have  been  rather  averse  to  marriage.  Anxiety  about 
the  education  and  conversion  of  children  rather  terrifies  me. 

July  20.  (Sunday.)— ^Preached  at  the  new  church  on 
2  Cor.  V.  17.  Mr.  Marshman  dined  with  us,  and  at  four 
I  went  to  the  bazaar,  to  hear  him  preach  to  the  natives. 
I  arrived  at  the  shed  before  him,  and  found  the  native 
brethren  singing,  after  which  one  of  them  got  up,  and  ad- 
dressed the  people  with  such  firmness  and  mild  energy, 
notwithstanding  their  occasional  contradictions  and  ridicule, 
that  I  was  quite  delighted  and  refreshed.  To  see  a  native 
Indian  an  earnest  advocate  for  Jesus,  how  precious ! 
Marshman  afterwards  came,  and  prayed,  sung,  and  preached. 
If  I  were  to  be  very  severe  with  him,  I  should  say  that 
there  is  a  want  of  seriousness,  tenderness,  and  dignity  in 
his  address,  and  I  felt  pained  that  he  should  so  frequently 
speak  with  contempt  of  the  Brahmins,  many  of  whom 
were  listening  with  great  respect  and  attention.  The  group 
presented  all  that  variety  of  countenance  which  the  Word 
is  represented  as  producing  in  a  heathen  audience — some 
inattentive,  others  scornful,  and  others  seemingly  melting 
under  it.  Another  native  brother,  I  believe,  then  addressed 
them.  An  Indian  sermon  about  Jesus  Christ  was  like 
music  on  my  ear,  and  I  felt  inflamed  to  begin  my  work : 
these  poor  people  possess  more  intelligence  and  feeling 
than  I  thought.  At  the  end  of  the  service  there  was  a 
sort  of  uproar  when  the  papers  were  given  away,  and  the 
attention  of  the  populace  and  of  some  Europeans  was 
excited.  Read  prayers  at  night  at  the  missionary  church  ; 
Mr.  Brown  preached  on  the  unspeakable  gift. 


174  HENRY  MARTYN 

July  21. — Returned  to  Serampore  rather  in  a  low  state 
of  mind,  arising  from  deprivation  of  a  society  of  which  I 
had  been  too  fond. 

July  22. — Read  Hindustani  without  moonshi.  Not 
being  able  to  get  to  the  pagoda  from  the  incessant  rain,  I 
passed  the  latter  part  of  the  day  in  the  house,  reading  the 
life  of  Francis  Xavier.  1  was  exceedingly  roused  at  the 
astonishing  example  of  that  great  saint,  and  began  to 
consider  whether  it  was  not  my  duty  to  live,  as  he  did,  in 
voluntary  poverty  and  celibacy.  I  was  not  easy  till  I  had 
determined  to  follow  the  same  course,  when  I  should  per- 
ceive that  the  kingdom  of  God  would  be  more  advanced 
by  it.  At  night  I  saw  the  awful  necessity  of  being  no 
longer  slothful,  nor  wasting  my  thoughts  about  such  trifles 
as  whether  I  should  be  married  or  not,  and  felt  a  great 
degree  of  fear,  lest  the  blood  of  the  five  thousand  Mo- 
hammedans, who,  Mr.  Brown  said,  were  to  be  found  in 
Calcutta  capable  of  understanding  a  Hindustani  sermon, 
should  be  required  at  my  hand. 

July  25. — The  thought  of  the  Mohammedans  and 
heathens  lies  very  heavy  upon  my  mind.  The  former,  who 
are  in  Calcutta,  I  seem  to  think  are  consigned  to  me  by  God, 
because  nobody  preaches  in  Hindustani.  Employed  the 
morning  in  sermon  and  Hindustani.  In  the  afternoon 
went  down  to  Calcutta.  In  the  boat  read  Wrangham's 
Essay  and  some  of  Mr.  Lloyd's  letters,  when  young.  What 
knowledge  have  some  believers  of  the  deep  things  of  God  ! 
1  felt  myself  peculiarly  deficient  in  that  experimental 
knowledge  of  Christ  with  which  Mr.  Lloyd  was  particularly 
favoured.  Walked  from  the  landing-place,  a  mile  and  a 
half,  through  the  native  part  of  Calcutta,  amidst  crowds  of 
Orientals  of  all  nations.  How  would  the  spirit  of  St.  Paul 
have  been  moved  !  The  thought  of  summoning  the  at- 
tention of  such  multitudes  appeared  very  formidable,  and 
during  the  course  of  the  evening  was  the  occasion  of  many 
solemn  thoughts  and  prayer,  that  God  would  deliver  me 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,   1806  175 

from  all  softness  of  mind,  fear,  and  self-indulgence,  and 
make  me  ready  to  suffer  shame  and  death  for  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

July  26. — My  soul  in  general  impressed  with  the 
awfulness  of  my  missionary  work,  and  often  shrinking 
from  its  difficulties. 

July  28. — In  the  boat  to  Serampore  we  read  Mitchell's 
Essay  on  Evangelizing  India,  and  were  much  pleased  and 
profited.  Whatever  plans  and  speculations  may  be  agitated, 
I  felt  it  my  duty  to  think  only  of  putting  my  hand  to  the 
work  without  delay.  Felt  very  unhappy  at  having  other 
work  put  upon  me,  which  will  keep  me  from  making 
progress  in  the  language.  Nothing  but  waiting  upon  God 
constantly  for  direction,  and  an  assurance  that  His  never- 
ceasing  love  will  direct  my  way,  would  keep  me  from 
constant  vexation.  I  scarcely  do  anything  in  the  language, 
from  having  my  time  so  constantly  taken  up  with  writing 
sermons. 

July  29. — Much  of  this  morning  taken  up  in  writing  to 
Lydia.  As  far  as  my  own  views  extend,  I  feel  no  doubt 
at  all  about  the  propriety  of  the  measure — of  at  least  pro- 
posing it.  May  the  Lord,  in  continuance  of  His  loving- 
kindness  to  her  and  me,  direct  her  mind,  that  if  she  comes 
I  may  consider  it  as  a  special  gift  from  God,  and  not 
merely  permitted  by  Him.  Marshman  sat  with  us  in  the 
evening,  and  as  usual  was  teeming  with  plans  for  the 
propagation  of  the  Gospel.  Stayed  up  till  midnight  in 
finishing  the  letter  to  Lydia. 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Serampore  :  July  30,  1806. 
My  dearest  Lydia, — On  a  subject  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  my  happiness  and  future  ministry,  as  that  on 
which  I  am  now  about  to  address  you,  I  wish  to  assure  you 
that  I  am  not  acting  with  precipitancy,  or  without  much 


176  HENRY  MARTYN 

consideration  and  prayer,  while  I  at  last  sit  down  to  request 
you  to  come  out  to  me  to  India. 

May  the  Lord  graciously  direct  His  blind  and  erring 
creature,  and  not  suffer  the  natural  bias  of  his  mind  to 
lead  him  astray.  You  are  acquainted  with  much  of  the 
conflict  I  have  undergone  on  your  account.  It  has  been 
greater  than  you  or  Emma  have  imagined,  and  yet  not  so 
painful  as  I  deserve  to  have  found  it  for  having  suffered 
my  affections  to  fasten  so  inordinately  on  an  earthly 
object. 

Soon,  however,  after  my  final  departure  from  Europe, 
God  in  great  mercy  gave  me  deliverance,  and  favoured 
me  throughout  the  voyage  with  peace  of  mind,  indifference 
about  all  worldly  connections,  and  devotedness  to  no 
object  upon  earth  but  the  work  of  Christ.  I  gave  you  up 
entirely — not  the  smallest  expectation  remained  in  my 
mind  of  ever  seeing  you  again  till  we  should  meet  in 
heaven  :  and  the  thought  of  this  separation  was  the  less 
painful  from  the  consolatory  persuasion  that  our  own 
Father  had  so  ordered  it  for  our  mutual  good.  I  continued 
from  that  time  to  remember  you  in  my  prayers  only  as  a 
Christian  sister,  though  one  very  dear  to  me.  On  my  arrival 
in  this  country  I  saw  no  reason  at  first  for  supposing  that 
marriage  was  advisable  for  a  missionary — or  rather  the 
subject  did  not  offer  itself  to  my  mind.  The  Baptist 
missionaries  indeed  recommended  it,  and  Mr.  Brown  ;  but 
not  knowing  any  proper  person  in  this  country,  they  were 
not  very  pressing  upon  the  subject,  and  I  accordingly 
gave  no  attention  to  it.  After  a  very  short  experience  and 
inquiry  afterwards,  my  own  opinions  began  to  change,  and 
when  a  few  weeks  ago  we  received  your  welcome  letter, 
and  others  from  Mr.  Simeon  and  Colonel  Sandys,  both  of 
whom  spoke  of  you  in  reference  to  me,  I  considered  it  even 
as  a  call  from  God  to  satisfy  myself  fully  concerning  His 
will.  From  the  account  which  Mr.  Simeon  received  of 
you  from  Mr.  Thomason,  he  seemed  in  his  letter  to  me  to 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  177 

regret  that  he  had  so  strongly  dissuaded  me  from  thinking 
about  you  at  the  time  of  my  leaving  England.  Colonel 
Sandys  spoke  in  such  terms  of  you,  and  of  the  advantages 
to  result  from  your  presence  in  this  country,  that  Mr. 
Brown  became  very  earnest  for  me  to  endeavour  to  prevail 
upon  you.  Your  letter  to  me  perfectly  delighted  him,  and 
induced  him  to  say  that  you  would  be  the  greatest  aid  to 
the  mission  I  could  possibly  meet  with.  I  knew  my  own 
heart  too  well  not  to  be  distrustful  of  it,  especially  as  my 
affections  were  again  awakened,  and  accordingly  all  my 
labour  and  prayer  have  been  to  check  their  influence,  that 
I  might  see'clearly  the  path  of  duty. 

Though  I  dare  not  say  that  I  am  under  no  bias,  yet 
from  every  view  of  the  subject  I  have  been  able  to  take, 
after  balancing  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  that 
may  ensue  to  the  cause  in  which  I  am  engaged,  always  in 
prayer  for  God's  direction,  my  reason  is  fully  convinced  of 
the  expediency,  I  had  almost  said  the  necessity,  of  having 
you  with  me.  It  is  possible  that  my  reason  may  still  be 
obscured  by  passion  ;  let  it  suffice,  however,  to  say  that 
now  with  a  safe  conscience  and  the  enjoyment  of  the 
Divine  presence,  I  calmly  and  deliberately  make  the  pro- 
posal to  you — and  blessed  be  God  if  it  be  not  His  will  to 
permit  it ;  still  this  step  is  not  advancing  beyond  the  limits 
of  duty,  because  there  is  a  variety  of  ways  by  which  God 
can  prevent  it,  without  suffering  any  dishonour  to  His 
cause.  If  He  shall  forbid  it,  I  think  that,  by  His  grace,  I 
shall  even  then  be  contented  and  rejoice  in  the  pleasure 
of  corresponding  with  you.  Your  letter,  dated  December 
1805,  was  the  first  I  received  (your  former  having  been 
taken  in  the  Bell  Packet),  and  I  found  it  so  animating 
that  I  could  not  but  reflect  on  the  blessedness  of  having  so 
dear  a  counsellor  always  near  me.  I  can  truly  say,  and 
God  is  my  witness,  that  my  principal  desire  in  this  affair 
is  that  you  may  promote  the  kingdom  of  God  in  my  own 
heart,  and  be  the  means  of  extending  it  to  the  heathen 

N 


178  HENRY  MARTYN 

My  own  earthly  comfort  and  happiness  are  not  worth  a 
moment's  notice.  I  would  not,  my  dearest  Lydia,  influence 
you  by  any  artifices  or  false  representations.  I  can  only 
say  that  if  you  have  a  desire  of  being  instrumental  in 
establishing  the  blessed  Redeemer's  kingdom  among  these 
poor  people,  and  will  condescend  to  do  it  by  supporting 
the  spirits  and  animating  the  zeal  of  a  weak  messenger  of 
the  Lord,  who  is  apt  to  grow  very  dispirited  and  languid, 
*  Come,  and  the  Lord  be  with  you  1 '  It  can  be  nothing 
but  a  sacrifice  on  your  part,  to  leave  your  valuable  friends 
to  come  to  one  who  is  utterly  unworthy  of  you  or  any 
other  of  God's  precious  gifts :  but  you  will  have  your 
reward,  and  I  ask  it  not  of  you  or  of  God  for  the  sake  of 
my  own  happiness,  but  only  on  account  of  the  Gospel.  If 
it  be  not  calculated  to  promote  it,  may  God  in  His  mercy 
withhold  it.  For  the  satisfaction  of  your  friends,  I  should 
say  that  you  will  meet  with  no  hardships.  The  voyage  is 
very  agreeable,  and  with  the  people  and  country  of  India 
I  think  you  will  be  much  pleased.  The  climate  is  very 
fine — the  so  much  dreaded  heat  is  really  nothing  to  those 
who  will  employ  their  minds  in  useful  pursuits.  Idleness 
will  make  people  complain  of  everything.  The  natives 
are  the  most  harmless  and  timid  creatures  I  ever  met  with. 
The  whole  country  is  the  land  of  plenty  and  peace.  Were 
I  a  missionary  among  the  Esquimaux  or  Boschemen,  I 
should  never  dream  of  introducing  a  female  into  such  a 
scene  of  danger  or  hardship,  especially  one  whose  happi- 
ness is  dearer  to  me  than  my  own  :  but  here  there  is 
universal  tranquillity,  though  the  multitudes  are  so  great 
that  a  missionary  needs  not  go  three  miles  from  his  house 
without  having  a  congregation  of  many  thousands.  You 
would  not  be  left  in  solitude  if  I  were  to  make  any  distant 
excursion,  because  no  chaplain  is  stationed  where  there  is 
not  a  large  English  Society.  My  salary  is  abundantly 
sufficient  for  the  support  of  a  married  man,  the  house  and 
number  of  people  kept  by  each  Company's  servant  being 


CALCUTTA  AND  SERAMPORE,   1806  179 

such  as  to  need  no  increase  for  a  family  establishment. 
As  I  must  make  the  supposition  of  your  coming,  though 
it  may  be  perhaps  a  premature  liberty,  I  should  give  you 
some  directions.  This  letter  will  reach  you  about  the 
latter  end  of  the  year ;  it  would  be  very  desirable  if  you 
could  be  ready  for  the  February  fleet,  because  the  voyage 
will  be  performed  in  far  less  time  than  at  any  other  season. 
George  will  find  out  the  best  ship — one  in  which  there  is 
a  lady  of  high  rank  in  the  service  would  be  preferable. 
You  are  to  be  considered  as  coming  as  a  visitor  to  Mr. 
Brown,  who  will  write  to  you  or  to  Colonel  Sandys,  who 
is  best  qualified  to  give  you  directions  about  the  voyage. 
Should  I  be  up  the  country  on  your  arrival  in  Bengal,  Mr. 
Brown  will  be  at  hand  to  receive  you,  and  you  will  find 
yourself  immediately  at  home.  As  it  will  highly  expedite 
some  of  the  plans  which  we  have  in  agitation  that  you 
should  know  the  language  as  soon  as  possible,  take 
Gilchrist's  Indian  Stranger's  Gtiide,  and  occasionally  on 
the  voyage  learn  some  of  the  words. 

If  I  had  room  I  might  enlarge  on  much  that  would  be 
interesting  to  you.  In  my  conversations  with  Marshman, 
the  Baptist  missionary,  our  hearts  sometimes  expand  with 
delight  and  joy  at  the  prospect  of  seeing  all  these  nations 
of  the  East  receive  the  doctrine  of  the  Cross.  He  is  a 
happy  labourer;  and  I  only  wait,  I  trust,  to  know  the 
language  to  open  my  mouth  l^oldly  and  make  known  the 
mystery  of  the  Gospel.  My  romantic  notions  are  for 
the  first  time  almost  realised  ;  for  in  addition  to  the 
beauties  of  sylvan  scenery  may  be  seen  the  more  delightful 
object  of  multitudes  of  simple  people  sitting  in  the  shade 
listening  to  the  words  of  eternal  life.  Much  as  yet  is  not 
done  ;  but  I  have  seen  many  discover  by  their  looks  while 
Marshman  was  preaching  that  their  hearts  were  tenderly 
affected.  My  post  is  not  yet  determined  ;  we  expect,  how- 
ever, it  will  be  Patna,  a  civil  station,  where  I  shall  not  be 
under  military  command.     As  you  are  so  kindly  anxious 

N  2 


/8o  HENRY  MARTYN 

about  my  health,  I  am  happy  to  say,  that  through  mercy 
my  health  is  far  better  than  it  ever  was  in  England. 

The  people  of  Calcutta  are  very  desirous  of  keeping 
me  at  the  mission-church,  and  offer  to  any  Evangelical 
clergyman  a  chaplain's  salary  and  a  house  besides.  I  am 
of  course  deaf  to  such  a  proposal ;  but  it  is  strange  that 
no  one  in  England  is  tevipted  by  such  an  inviting  situation. 
I  am  actually  going  to  mention  it  to  Cousin  T.  H.  and 
Emma — not,  as  you  may  suppose,  with  much  hope  of 
success  ;  but  I  think  that  possibly  the  chapel  at  Dock  may 
be  too  much  for  him,  and  he  will  have  here  a  sphere  of 
still  greater  importance.  As  this  will  be  sent  by  the 
overland  despatch,  there  is  some  danger  of  its  not  reaching 
you.  You  will  therefore  receive  a  duplicate,  and  perhaps 
a  triplicate  by  the  ships  that  will  arrive  in  England  a 
month  or  two  after.  I  cannot  write  now  to  any  of  my 
friends.  I  will  therefore  trouble  you,  if  you  have  oppor- 
tunity, to  say  that  I  have  received  no  letters  since  I  left 
England,  but  one  from  each  of  these — Cousin  Tom  and 
Emma,  Simeon,  Sargent,  Bates  :  of  my  own  family  I  have 
heard  nothing.  Assure  any  of  them  whom  you  may  see 
of  the  continuance  of  my  affectionate  regard,  especially 
dear  Emma.  I  did  not  know  that  it  was  permitted  me  to 
write  to  you,  or  I  fear  she  would  not  have  found  me  so 
faithful  a  correspondent  on  the  voyage.  As  I  have  here- 
tofore addressed  you  through  her,  it  is  probable  that  I  may 
be  now  disposed  to  address  her  through  you — or,  what  will 
be  best  of  all,  that  we  both  of  us  address  her  in  one  letter 
from  India.  However,  you  shall  decide,  my  dearest  Lydia. 
I  must  approve  your  determination,  because  with  that  spirit 
of  simple-looking  to  the  Lord  which  we  both  endeavour 
to  maintain,  we  must  not  doubt  that  you  will  be  divinely 
directed.  Till  I  receive  an  answer  to  this,  my  prayers  you 
may  be  assured  will  be  constantly  put  up  for  you  that  in 
this  affair  you  maybe  under  an  especial  guidance, and  that 
in  all  your  ways  God  may  be  abundantly  glorified  by  you 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  iSi 

through  Jesus  Christ.  You  say  in  your  letter  \.\\a,\.  frequently 
every  day  you  remember  my  worthless  name  before  the 
throne  of  grace.  This  instance  of  extraordinary  and 
undeserved  kindness  draws  my  heart  toward  you  with  a 
tenderness  which  I  cannot  describe.  Dearest  Lydia,  in 
the  sweet  and  fond  expectation  of  your  being  given  to  me 
by  God,  and  of  the  happiness  which  I  humbly  hope  you 
yourself  might  enjoy  here,  I  find  a  pleasure  in  breathing 
out  my  assurance  of  ardent  love.  I  have  now  long  loved 
you  most  affectionately,  and  my  attachment  is  more  strong, 
more  pure,  more  heavenly,  because  I  see  in  you  the  image 
of  Jesus  Christ.  I  unwillingly  conclude,  by  bidding  my 
beloved  Lydia  adieu. 

H.  Martyn. 

Serampore :  September  i,  1806. 

My  dearest  Lydia, — With  this  you  will  receive  the  dupli- 
cate of  the  letter  I  sent  you  a  month  ago,  by  the  overland 
despatch.  May  it  find  you  prepared  to  come  !  All  the 
thoughts  and  views  which  I  have  had  of  the  subject  since 
first  addressing  you,  add  tenfold  confirmation  to  my  first 
opinion  ;  and  I  trust  that  the  blessed  God  will  graciously 
make  it  appear  that  I  have  been  acting  under  a  right 
direction,  by  giving  the  precious  gift  to  me  and  to  the 
Church  in  India.  I  sometimes  regret  that  I  had  not 
obtained  a  promise  from  you  of  following  me  at  the  time 
of  our  last  parting  at  Gurlyn,  as  I  am  occasionally  apt  to 
be  excessively  impatient  at  the  long  delay.  Many,  many 
months  must  elapse  before  I  can  see  you  or  even  hear  how 
you  shall  determine.  The  instant  your  mind  is  made  up 
you  will  send  a  letter  by  the  overland  despatch.  George 
will  let  you  know  how  it  is  to  be  prepared,  as  the  Company 
have  given  some  printed  directions.  It  is  a  consolation  to 
me  during  this  long  suspense,  that  had  I  engaged  with 
you  before  my  departure  I  should  not  have  had  such  a 
satisfactory  conviction  of  it  being  the  will  of  God.     The 


1 82  HENRY  MARTYN 

Commander-in-chief  is  in  doubt  to  which  of  the  three 
following  stations  he  shall  appoint  me  — Benares,  Patna, 
or  Moorshedabad  ;  it  will  be  the  last,  most  probably.  This 
is  only  two  days'  journey  from  Calcutta.  I  shall  take  my 
departure  in  about  six  weeks.  In  the  hour  that  remains,  I 
must  endeavour  to  write  to  my  dear  sister  Emma,  and  to 
Sally.  By  the  fleet  which  will  sail  hence  in  about  two 
months,  they  will  receive  longer  letters.  You  will  then,  I 
hope,  have  left  England.  I  am  very  happy  here  in 
preparing  for  my  delightful  work,  but  I  should  be  happier 
still  if  I  were  sufficiently  fluent  in  the  language  to  be 
actually  employed  ;  and  happiest  of  all  if  my  beloved 
Lydia  were  at  my  right  hand,  counselling  and  animating 
me.  I  am  not  very  willing  to  end  my  letter  to  you  ;  it  is 
difficult  not  to  prolong  the  enjoyment  of  speaking,  as  it 
were,  to  one  who  occupies  so  much  of  my  sleeping  and 
waking  hours  ;  but  here,  alas  !  I  am  aware  of  danger ;  and 
my  dear  Lydia  will,  I  hope,  pray  that  her  unworthy  friend 
may  love  no  creature  inordinately. 

It  will  be  base  in  me  to  depart  in  heart  from  a  God  of 
such  love  as  I  find  Him  to  be.  Oh,  that  I  could  make 
some  returns  for  the  riches  of  His  love  I  Swiftly  fly  the 
hours  of  life  away,  and  then  we  shall  be  admitted  to 
behold  His  glory.  The  ages  of  darkness  are  rolling  fast 
away,  and  shall  soon  usher  in  the  Gospel  period  when  the 
whole  world  shall  be  filled  with  His  glory.  Oh,  my  beloved 
sister  and  friend,  dear  to  me  on  every  account,  but  dearest 
of  all  for  having  one  heart  and  one  soul  with  me  in  the 
cause  of  Jesus  and  the  love  of  God,  let  us  pray  and  rejoice, 
and  rejoice  and  pray,  that  God  may  be  glorified,  and  the 
dying  Saviour  see  of  the  travail  of  His  soul.  May  the  God 
of  hope  fill  us  with  all  joy  and  peace  in  believing,  that  we 
may  both  of  us  abound  in  hope  through  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Now,  my  dearest  Lydia,  I  cannot  say  what 
I  feel — I  cannot  pour  out  my  soul— I  could  not  if  you 
were  here ;  but  I  pray  that  you  may  love  me,  if  it  be  the 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  183 

ivill  of  God  ;  and  I  pray  that  God  may  make  you  more  and 
more  His  child,  and  give  me  more  and  more  love  for  all 
that  is  God-like  and  holy.    I  remain,  with  fervent  affection, 

Yours,  in  eternal  bonds, 

H.  Martyn. 


To  Charles  Simeon* 

Calcutta  :  September  I,  1806. 

My  dearest  Brother, — I  feel  no  hesitation  about  inviting 
Miss  L.  G.  on  her  own  account,  except  it  be  that  she  should 
come  so  far  for  one  who  is  so  utterly  unworthy  of  her.  I 
would  rather  die  than  bring  one  whom  I  honour  so  much 
into  a  situation  of  difficulty  ;  but  indeed  there  is  no  hard- 
ship to  be  encountered.  In  my  absence  she  might  if  she 
pleased,  visit  the  English  ladies  who  are  always  to  be  found 
at  the  different  stations.  The  plan  about  to  be  adopted 
by  the  Baptists  is  to  establish  missionary  stations  in  the 
country  ;  while  one  missionary  makes  the  circuit  of  the 
surrounding  country,  another  shall  always  be  in  the  way 
to  receive  enquiries  and  to  explain.  I  should  think  that  a 
zealous  woman,  acquainted  with  the  language,  and  espe- 
cially if  assisted  by  native  brethren,  might  be  of  use  in  this 
way  without  moving  from  her  house.  .  .  .  Three  such  men 
as  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward,  so  suited  to  one  another 
and  to  their  work,  are  not  to  be  found,  I  should  think,  in 
the  whole  world. 

September  13. —  Heard  of  the  arrival  of  Corrie  and 
Parson  at  Madras,  and  of  my  appointment  to  Dinapore. 

September  15. — Called  with  Mr.  Brown  on  Mr.  Udny, 
then  went  up  with  him  to  Serampore,  and  passed  much  of 
the  afternoon  in  reading  with  him  a  series  of  newspapers 

'  First  published  (1892)  by  Rev.  11.  C.  G.  Moule  from  the  autograph 
collection  made  by  Canon  Carus,  the  successor  and  biographer  of  Charles 
Simeon, 


1 84  HENRY  MARTYN 

from  England.  How  affecting  to  think  how  the  fashion 
of  this  world  pnsseth  away  !  What  should  I  do  without 
Christ  as  an  everlasting  portion  !  How  vain  is  life,  how 
mournful  is  death,  and  what  is  eternity  without  Christ ! 
In  the  evening  Marshman  and  Ward  came  to  us.  By 
endeavouring  to  recollect  myself  as  before  God,  I  found 
more  comfort,  and  was  enabled  to  show  more  propriety  in 
conversation. 

September  i6. — Passed  the  day  with  moonshi  in 
Hindustani  and  writing  sermon.  In  the  evening  wrote  to 
Lydia. 

September  17. — The  blaze  of  a  funeral  pile  this  morning 
near  the  pagoda  drew  my  attention.  I  ran  out,  but  the 
unfortunate  woman  had  committed  herself  to  the  flames 
before  I  arrived.  The  remains  of  the  two  bodies  were 
visible.  At  night,  while  I  was  at  the  missionaries',  Mr. 
Chamberlain  arrived  from  up  the  country.  Just  as  we  re- 
joiced at  the  thought  of  seeing  him  and  his  wife,  we  found 
she  had  died  in  the  boat  !  I  do  not  know  when  I  was  so 
shocked  ;  my  soul  revolted  at  everything  in  this  world, 
which  God  has  so  marked  with  misery — the  effect  of  sin. 
I  felt  reluctance  to  engage  in  every  worldly  connection. 
Marriage  seemed  terrible,  by  exposing  one  to  the  agonising 
sight  of  a  wife  dying  in  such  circumstances. 

September  24. — Went  down  to  Calcutta  with  Mr.  Brown 
and  Corrie,  and  found  letters.  My  affections  of  love  and 
joy  were  so  excited  by  them  that  it  was  almost  too  much 
for  my  poor  frame.  My  dearest  Lydia's  assurances  of  her 
love  were  grateful  enough  to  my  heart,  but  they  left 
somewhat  of  a  sorrowful  effect,  occasioned  I  believe  chiefly 
from  a  fear  of  her  suffering  in  any  degree,  and  partly  from 
the  long  time  and  distance  that  separate  us,  and  uncertainty 
if  ever  we  shall  be  permitted  to  meet  one  another  in  this 
world.  In  the  evening  the  Lord  gave  me  near  and  close 
and  sweet  communion  with  Him  on  this  subject,  and 
enabled  me  to  commit  the  affair  with  comfort  into  His 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  185 

hands.     Why  did  I  ever  doubt  His  love  ?     Does  He  not 
love  us  far  better  than  we  love  one  another  ? 

September  25. — Went  to  Serampore  with  Mr.  Brown 
and  Parson  ;  in  the  afternoon  read  with  moonshi ;  enjoyed 
much  of  the  solemn  presence  of  God  the  whole  day,  had 
many  happy  seasons  in  prayer,  and  felt  strengthened  for 
the  work  of  a  missionary,  which  is  speedily  to  begin  ; 
blessed  be  God  !  My  friends  are  alarmed  about  the  soli- 
tariness of  my  future  life,  and  my  tendency  to  melancholy  ; 
but,  O  my  dearest  Lord  !  Thou  art  with  me.  Thy  rod  and 
Thy  staff  they  comfort  me.  I  go  on  Thine  errand,  and  I 
know  that  Thou  art  and  wilt  be  with  me.  How  easily  canst 
Thou  support  and  refresh  my  heart ! 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Serampore  :  September  1806. 
How  earnestly  do  I  long  for  the  arrival  of  my  dearest 
Lydia !  Though  it  may  prove  at  last  no  more  than  a 
waking  dream  that  I  ever  expected  to  receive  you  in  India, 
the  hope  is  too  pleasing  not  to  be  cherished  till  I  am 
forbidden  any  longer  to  hope.  Till  I  am  assured  of  the 
contrary,  I  shall  find  a  pleasure  in  addressing  you  as  my 
own.  If  you  are  not  to  be  mine  you  will  pardon  me  ;  but 
my  expectations  are  greatly  encouraged  by  the  words  you 
used  when  we  parted  at  Gurlyn,  that  I  had  better  go  out 
free,  implying,  as  I  thought,  that  you  would  not  be  unwilling 
to  follow  me  if  I  should  see  it  to  be  the  will  of  God  to  make 
the  request.  I  was  rejoiced  also  to  set.  in  your  letter  that 
you  unite  your  name  with  mine  when  you  pray  that  God 
would  keep  us  both  in  the  path  of  duty  :  from  this  I  infer 
that  you  are  by  no  means  determined  to  remain  separate 
from  me.  You  will  not  suppose,  my  dear  Lydia,  that  I 
mention  these  little  things  to  influence  your  conduct,  or  to 
implicate  you  in  an  engagement.  No,  I  acknowledge  that 
you  are  perfectly  free,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  you  will 
act  as  the  love  and  wisdom  of  our  God  shall  direct.     Your 


1 86  HENRY  MARTYN 

heart  is  far  less  interested  in  this  business  than  mine,  in  all 
probability ;  and  this  on  one  account  I  do  not  regret,  as 
you  will  be  able  to  see  more  clearly  the  directions  of  God's 
providence.  About  a  fortnight  ago  I  sent  you  a  letter 
accompanying  the  duplicate  of  the  one  sent  overland  in 
August.  If  these  shall  have  arrived  safe  you  will  perhaps 
have  left  England  before  this  reaches  it.  But  if  not,  let  me 
entreat  you  to  delay  not  a  moment.  Yet  how  will  my  dear 
sister  Emma  be  able  to  part  with  you,  and  George— but 
above  all  your  mother  ?  I  feel  very  much  for  you  and  for 
them,  but  I  have  no  doubt  at  all  about  your  health  and 
happiness  in  this  country. 

The  Commander-in-chief  has  at  last  appointed  me  to 
the  station  of  Dinapore,  near  Patna,  and  I  shall  accordingly 
take  my  departure  for  that  place  as  soon  as  I  can  make 
the  necessary  preparations.  It  is  not  exactly  the  situation 
I  wished  for,  though  in  a  temporal  point  of  view  it  is 
desirable  enough.  The  air  is  good,  the  living  cheap,  the 
salary  i,ooo/.  a  year,  and  there  is  a  large  body  of  English 
troops  there.  But  I  should  have  preferred  being  near 
Benares,  the  heart  of  Hinduism.  We  rejoice  to  hear  that 
two  other  brethren  are  arrived  at  Madras  on  their  way  to 
Bengal,  sent,  I  trust,  by  the  Lord  to  co-operate  in  over- 
turning the  kingdom  of  Satan  in  these  regions.  They  are 
Corrie  and  Parson,  both  Bengal  chaplains.  Their  stations 
will  be  Benares  and  Moorshedabad — one  on  one  side  of 
me  and  the  other  on  the  other.  There  are  also  now  ten 
Baptist  missionaries  at  Serampore.  Surely  good  is  intended 
for  this  country. 

Captain  Wickcs,  the  good  old  Captain  Wickes,  who  has 
brought  out  so  many  missionaries  to  India,  is  now  here. 
He  reminds  me  of  Uncle  S.  I  have  been  just  interrupted 
by  the  blaze  of  a  funeral  pile,  within  a  hundred  yards  of 
my  pagoda.  I  ran  out,  but  the  wretched  woman  had  con- 
signed herself  to  the  flames  before  I  reached  the  spot,  and 
I  saw  only  the  remains  of  her  and  her  husband.     O  Lord, 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  187 

how  long  shall  it  be  ?  Oh,  I  shall  have  no  rest  in  my 
spirit  till  my  tongue  is  loosed  to  testify  against  the  Devil, 
and  deliver  the  message  of  God  to  these  His  unhappy  bond- 
slaves. I  stammered  out  something  to  the  wicked  Brah- 
mins about  the  judgments  of  God  upon  them  for  the  murder 
they  had  just  committed,  but  they  said  it  was  an  act  of  her 
own  free-will.  Some  of  the  missionaries  would  have  been 
there,  but  they  are  forbidden  by  the  Governor-General  to 
preach  to  the  natives  in  the  British  territory.  Unless  this 
prohibition  is  revoked  by  an  order  from  home  it  will 
amount  to  a  total  suppression  of  the  mission. 

I  know  of  nothing  else  that  will  give  you  a  further  idea 
of  the  state  of  things  here.  The  two  ministers  continue  to 
oppose  my  doctrines  with  unabated  virulence ;  but  they 
think  not  that  they  fight  against  God.  My  own  heart  is  at 
present  cold  and  slothful.  Oh,  that  my  soul  did  burn  with 
love  and  zeal !  Surely  were  you  here  I  should  act  with 
more  cheerfulness  and  activity  with  so  bright  a  pattern 
before  me.  If  Corrie  brings  me  a  letter  from  you,  and  the 
fleet  is  not  sailed,  which,  however,  is  not  likely,  I  shall  write 
to  you  again.  Colonel  Sandys  will  receive  a  letter  from 
me  and  Mr.  Brown  by  this  fleet.  Continue  to  remember 
me  in  your  prayers,  as  a  weak  brother.  I  shall  always 
think  of  you  as  one  to  be  loved  and  honoured. 

H.  Martyn. 

September  26. — Employed  as  usual  in  Hindustani  ; 
visited  Marshman  at  night.  He  and  Mr.  Carey  sat  with  us 
in  the  evening.  My  heart  still  continuing  some  degree  of 
watchfulness,  but  enjoying  less  sweetness. 

October  i. — Reading  with  moonshi  and  preparing  ser- 
mon ;  found  great  cause  to  pray  for  brotherly  love. 
Preached  at  night  at  the  mission-church  on  Eph.  ii.  4. 
Had  a  very  refreshing  conversation  with  Corrie  afterwards  ; 
we  wished  it  to  be  for  the  benefit  of  two  cadets,  who  supped 
with  us,  and  I  hope  it  will  not  be  in  vain.     May  the  Lord 


i88  HENRY  MARTYN 

be  pleased  to  make  me  act  with  a  single  eye  to  His  glory. 
How  easy  it  is  to  preach  about  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  and 
yet  to  preach  oneself. 

None  of  six  letters  from  Lydia  Grenfell  have  been 
preserved,  but  we  find  in  her  Diary  more  self-revealing  of 
her  heart  than  could  be  made  to  Henry  Martyn,  and  also 
more  severity  in  judging  of  herself  as  in  the  presence  of 
God. 

1^06,  May  2'i). — Wrote  dear  H.  I  have  felt  to-day  a 
return  of  spirits,  but  have  spent  them  too  much  in  worldly 
things.  I  found  it  a  blessed  season  in  praj-er,  yet  I  fear 
whether  my  satisfaction  did  not  rather  arise  from  being 
enabled  to  pray  than  from  any  extraordinary  communi- 
cations from  above.  O  Lord,  search  and  try  my  heart,  let 
not  its  deceitfulness  impose  on  me. 

July  19. — Thought  much  this  week  of  my  dear  absent 
friend. 

August  2. — I\Iy  family's  unhappiness  preys  on  my 
mind — sister  burning  with  anger  and  resentment  against 
sister,  brother  against  brother,  a  father  against  his  children. 
Oh,  what  a  picture  !  Let  me  not  add  to  the  weight  of  family 
sin. 

August  4. — Passed  a  happy  day.  Read  Baxter,  and 
found  in  doing  so  my  soul  raised  above.  Oh,  let  me  have, 
blessed  Lord,  anticipations  of  this  blessedness  and  foretaste 
of  glory.  In  Thy  presence  above  I  shall  be  reunited  to 
Thy  dear  saint,  now  labouring  in  Thy  vineyard  in  a  distant 
land.  One  year  is  nearly  passed  since  we  parted,  but 
scarcely  a  waking  hour,  I  believe,  has  he  been  absent  from 
my  mind.  In  general  my  remembrance  of  him  is  pro- 
ductive of  pleasure — that  I  should  possess  so  large  a  share 
of  his  affection,  and  be  remembered  in  his  prayers,  and 
have  an  eternity  to  spend  with  him,  yielding  me  in  turn 
delightful    pleasing    meditations  ;    but    just    now    nature 


CALCUTTA    AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  189 

grieves  that  we  are  no  more  to  meet  below ;  yet,  O  my 
blessed  Father,  I  cry,  '  Thy  will  be  done,  not  as  I  will,  but 
as  ThoLi  wilt' 

August  10. — Went  to  church.  My  soul  was  very  dull 
and  inanimate  throughout  the  service — the  sermon  had 
nothing  in  it  to  enliven  or  instruct.  Barren  as  this  place 
is  for  other  means  of  grace,  I  have  the  Word  and  leisure  to 
search ;  I  cannot  then  complain,  but  of  myself  there  is 
cause  enough.  Oh,  how  is  my  soul  so  earthly  i* — why  cannot 
I  rise  and  dwell  above  ?  Tied  and  bound  with  the  chain 
of  sin,  fettered  and  confined,  I  can  only  cast  a  look  above. 
One  year  is  gone  since  my  dear  friend  left  England.  The 
number  of  our  years  of  separation  is  so  much  lessened,  and 
our  salvation  draws  near. 

October  19. — My  birthday.  One-and-thirty  years  have 
I  existed  on  this  earth,  for  twenty-five  of  which  all  the 
amount  was  sin,  vanity,  and  rebellion  against  God  ;  the 
last  six,  though  spent  differently,  )'et  for  every  day  in 
them  I  am  persuaded  I  have  sinned  in  heart,  so  as 
justly  to  merit  condemnation  of  that  God  in  whose  mercy 
I  trust. 

November  5. — To-day  I  was  reading  of  David's  harp 
driving  away  the  evil  spirit  from  Saul,  and  resolved  again 
(the  Lord  helping  me)  to  try  the  sweet  harp  of  Jesse's  son 
in  my  first  and  last  waking  thoughts,  for  sad  and  dis- 
ordered are  my  thoughts  upon  my  friend.  The  expectation 
of  letters  from  my  dear  friend  in  India  by  this  fleet  is 
almost  over,  and  my  mind  is  rendered  anxious  about  him. 

November  25. — My  very  soul  has  been  cheered  by 
accounts  from  my  dear  friend  in  India,  for  whom  my 
m.ind  has  been  greatly  anxious.  'Cast  thy  cares  on  Me' 
is  a  command  badly  attended  to  by  me. 

The  formal  and  first  request  from  Henry  Martyn  to 
join  him  in  India  reached  Lydia  Grenfell  on  March  2,  1807. 
We  learn  from  his  reply  in  October  1807,  from  Dinapore, 


igo  HENRY  MARTYN 

that  she  had  sent  a  refusal  in  her  mother's  name.  But,  on 
April  25,  the  Rev.  Charles  Simeon  called  on  her  with  the 
result  which  he  thus  records  : 

With  her  mother's  leave  Miss  G.  accompanied  us  to 
Col.  Sandys',  when  I  had  much '  conversation  with  her 
about  Mr.  Martyn's  affair.  She  stated  to  me  all  the 
obstacles  to  his  proposals  :  first,  her  health  ;  second,  the 
indelicacy  of  her  going  out  to  India  alone  on  such  an 
errand  ;  third,  her  former  engagement  with  another  person, 
which  had  indeed  been  broken  off,  and  he  had  actually 
gone  up  to  London  two  years  ago  to  be  married  to  another 
woman,  but,  as  he  was  unmarried,  it  seemed  an  obstacle 
in  her  mind  ;  fourth,  the  certainty  that  her  mother  would 
never  consent  to  it.  On  these  points  I  observed  that  I 
thought  the  last  was  the  only  one  that  was  insurmountable  ; 
for  that,  first,  India  often  agreed  best  with  persons  of  a  deli- 
cate constitution — e.g.  Mr.  Martyn  himself  and  Mr.  Brown. 
Second,  it  is  common  for  ladies  to  go  thither  without  any 
previous  connection  ;  how  much  more,  therefore,  might  one 
go  with  a  connection  already  formed  !  Were  this  the  only 
difficulty,  I  engaged,  with  the  help  of  Mr.  Grant  and  Mr.  Parry, 
that  she  should  go  under  such  protection  as  should  obviate 
all  difficulties  upon  this  head.  Third,  the  step  taken  by  the 
other  person  had  set  her  at  perfect  liberty.  Fourth,  the 
consent  of  her  mother  was  indispensable,  and  as  that 
appeared  impossible,  the  matter  might  be  committed  to 
God  in  this  way.  If  her  mother,  of  her  own  accord,  should 
express  regret  that  the  connection  had  been  prevented, 
from  an  idea  of  her  being  irreconcilably  averse  to  it,  and 
that  she  would  not  stand  in  the  way  of  her  daughter's 
wishes,  this  would  be  considered  as  a  direction  from  God 
in  answer  to  her  prayers,  and  I  should  instantly  be 
apprised  of  it  by  her,  in  order  to  communicate  to  Mr.  M. 
In  this  she  perfectly  agreed.  I  told  her,  however,  that  I 
would  mention  nothing  of  this  to  Mr.  M.,  because  it  would 


CALCUTTA    AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  191 

only  tend   to  keep  him    in  painful   suspense.      Thus  the 
matter  is  entirely  set  aside,  unless  God,  by  a  special  inter- 
position of  His  providence  {i.e.  by  taking  away  her  mother, 
or  overruling  her  mind,  contrary  to  all  reasonable  expccta 
tion,  to  approve  of  it),  mark  His  own  will  concerning  it. 

We  find  this  account  of  the  crisis  in  her  Diary : 

1807,  March  2. — Passed  some  peaceful  happy  days  at 
Tregembo.  My  return  was  marked  by  two  events,  long  to  be 
remembered — seeing  John  and  hearing  from  H.  M.  Great 
has  been  my  distress,  but  peace  is  returned,  and  could  I  cease 
from  anticipating  future  evils  I  should  enjoy  more.  The 
Lord  has  been  gracious  in  affording  me  help,  but  He  made 
me  first  feel  my  weakness,  and  suffered  Satan  to  harass 
me.     I  am  called  upon  now  to  act  a  decisive  part. 

Marasion,  March  8.— With  David  let  me  say.  In  the 
multitude  of  thoughts  within  me  Thy  comforts  have 
refreshed  my  soul.  O  Thou !  my  refuge,  my  rest,  my 
hiding-place,  in  every  time  of  sorrow  to  Thee  I  fly,  and 
trust  in  the  covert  of  Thy  wings.  Thou  hast  been  a 
shelter  for  me  and  a  strong  tower.  I  have  liberty  to  pour 
out  my  griefs  into  the  bosom  of  my  God,  and  doing  so  I  am 
lightened  of  their  burden.  The  Lord's  dealings  are  singular 
with  me,  yet  not  severe,  yea,  they  are  merciful.  Twice 
have  I  been  called  on  to  act "...  in  a  way  few  are 
tried  in,  but  the  Lord's  goodness  towards  me  is  so  manifest 
in  the  first,  that  I  have  come  to  wait  in  silence  and  hope 
the  event  of  this.  I  am  satisfied  I  have  done  now  what  is 
right,  and  peace  has  returned  to  me  ;  yet  there  is  need  of 
great  watchfulness  to  resist  the  enemy  of  souls,  who  would 
weaken  and  depress  my  soul,  bringing  to  remembrance  the 
affection  of  my  dear  friend,  and  representing  my  conduct 
as  ungrateful  towards  him.  To-day  I  have  had  many 
distressing  feelings  on  his  account,  yet  in   the  general   I 

•  A  line  has  been  erased  by  a  subsequent  writer. 


192  HENRY  MARTYN 

have  been  looking  to  things  invisible  and  eternal,  and 
therefore  enjoyed  peace.  I  must  live  more  in  the  con- 
templation of  Christ  and  heavenly  things.  Oh,  come,  fill 
and  satisfy  my  soul,  be  my  leader  and  guide,  dispose  of 
me  as  Thou  wilt.  The  pain  of  writing  to  him  is  over,  and 
I  feel  satisfied  I  wrote  what  duty  required  of  me.^  Now 
then,  return,  O  my  soul,  to  thy  rest. 

March  22. — A  week  of  conflict  and  of  mercies  is  over. 
May  the  remembrance  of  Thy  goodness  never  be  forgotten. 
I  bless  Thee,  O  my  God,  that  Thou  hast  brought  me 
hitherto,  and  with  more  reason  than  David,  inquire  what 
am  I  that  Thou  shouldest  do  so  ? 

April  23. — To-day  my  mind  has  been  painfully  affected 
by  the  receipt  of  letters  from .  I  found  in  the  pre- 
sence of  my  mother  I  dared  not  indulge  the  inclination  I 
feel  to  mourn  ;  and  believing  my  Heavenly  Parent's  will 
to  be  that  I  should  be  careful  for  nothing,  I  ought  to  be 
equally  exerting  myself  in  secret  to  resist  the  temptation. 
How  true  it  is  we  suffer  more  in  the  person  of  another  dear 
to  us  than  in  our  own  !  Lord,  I  know  Thou  canst  perfectly 
satisfy  him  by  the  consolation  of  Thy  Spirit  and  com- 
munications of  Thy  grace  ;  Thou  canst  display  the  glories 
of  Thy  beloved  Son  to  his  view,  and  put  gladness  into  his 
heart.  Oh,  support,  cheer,  and  bless  him  ;  let  Thy  left  hand 
be  under  his  head,  and  Thy  right  hand  embrace  him,  that 
he  may  feel  less  than  my  fears  suggest.  Oh,  do  Thou 
powerfully  impress  our  minds  with  a  persuasion  of  Thy 
overruling  hand  in  this  trial.  Let  us  see  it  to  be  Thy  will, 
and  be  now  and  ever  disposed  to  bow  to  it.  Uphold  me, 
Jesus,  or  I  fall  a  prey  to  distracting  thoughts  and  imagina- 
tion. 

April  24. — The  arrival  of  dear  Mr.  Simeon  has  been 
a  cordial  to  my  fainting  heart.  Lord,  do  Thou  comfort  me 
by  him  ;  none  but  Thyself  can  give  me  lasting  comfort — 

'   'Her  letter  was  to  bid  me  a  last  farewell.' — Mz.xiyvi's  Jotinial.      This 
was  received  November  23. 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  193 

instruments  arc  nothing  without  Thee.  Oh,  may  I  now  be 
watchful,  for  often,  through  my  depraved  nature,  when 
unlooked-for  deliverance  comes,  I  get  careless  and  light 
in  my  frame  ;  then  the  Lord  hides  His  face,  and  trouble 
comes,  which  no  outward  circumstances  can  relieve.  I 
need  especial  direction  from  on  high.  Oh,  may  my  depend- 
ence be  on  the  Lord,  and  I  shall  not  go  astray. 

April  28. — Went  on  Saturday  with  Mr.  Simeon  and 
Mr.  E.  to  Helston.  Lord,  I  bless  Thy  holy  name,  I 
adore  Thy  wonderful  unmerited  goodness  towards  such  a 
base,  vile  creature,  that  Thou  shouldest  at  this  particular 
season  send  me  counsel  and  support  through  the  medium 
of  Thy  dear  servant.  I  am  brought  home  again  in  safety, 
and  enjoyed,  during  my  absence,  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
how  a  Christian  lives. 

April  29. — The  state  of  my  mind  lately  has  led  me  to 
fill  too  much  of  my  Diary  with  expressions  of  regard  for 
an  earthly  object,  and  now  I  am  convinced  of  the  evil  of 
indulging  this  affection.  Oh,  may  the  Lord  enable  me  to 
mortify  it ;  may  this  mirror  of  my  heart  show  me  more  of 
love  to  God  and  less  to  anything  earthly.  This  morning 
was  a  sad  one,  and  to  the  present  I  have  to  mourn  over 
the  barrenness  of  my  soul,  its  indisposedness  to  any  spiritual 
exertion.  Almost  constantly  do  I  remember  my  dear 
absent  friend  ;  may  I  do  so  with  less  pain. 

May  I. — I  begin  this  month  in  circumstances  peculiarly 
trying,  such  as  I  can  support  only  by  aid  vouchsafed  from 
above,  and  sought  in  constant  prayer.  The  Lord  is  a 
stronghold  in  this  time  of  trouble. 

May  2. — To-day  and  yesterday  I  have  found  more 
composure  of  mind  than  of  late  ;  once  indeed  the  enemy 
(whose  devices  I  am  too  ignorant  of  to  meet  them,  as  I 
ought)  succeeded  in  distracting  my  mind,  and  excited 
many  sinful  passions  from  the  probability  that  Miss  Corrie, 
who  is  going  to  her  brother,  may  be  the  partner  appointed 
for  my  dear  friend.     This  continued  for  a  short  time  only, 

0 


194  HENRY  MARTYN 

and  I  found  relief  at  a  throne  of  grace.  It  is  a  subject  I 
must  not  dwell  on — when  the  trial  comes,  grace  will  be 
given  ;  but  at  present  I  have  none  to  meet  it ;  yet  have 
I  prayed  the  Lord  to  provide  him  a  suitable  helpmate. 
Deceitful  is  my  heart ;  how  little  do  I  know  it !  O  Thou 
bleeding  Saviour,  let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee  from  deserved 
wrath,  and  oh,  speak  peace  once  more  to  my  soul. 

^(^y  3- — A  day  of  much  sinful  inquietude.  Oh,  that  I 
could  withdraw  my  affections  !  Oh,  that  I  could  once  more 
feel  I  have  no  desire  but  after  heavenly  things !  What  a 
chaos  has  my  mind  been  to-day,  even  in  the  house  of 
God  and  at  the  throne  of  grace.  I  have  been,  in  imagin- 
ation, conversing  with  a  fellow-creature.  Where  is  thy 
heart  ?  is  a  question  not  now  to  be  answered  satisfactorily. 
Tied  and  bound  with  this  chain,  if  for  a  little  time  I  rise 
to  God,  soon  I  turn  from  the  glories  of  His  face,  grieving 
His  Spirit  by  preferring  the  ideal  presence  of  my  friend — 
sometimes  drawing  the  scene  of  his  distress,  at  others  the 
pleasure  of  his  return.  Oh,  let  me  not  continue  thus  to  walk 
in  the  vanity  of  my  mind.  Oh,  may  I  find  sufficient  hap- 
piness in  the  presence  of  my  God  here,  and  live  looking  to 
the  things  not  seen,  looking  to  that  heavenly  country 
where  I  shall  enjoy  in  perfection  the  blessed  society  and 
(of?)  all  I  loved  below. 

May  4. — Passed  a  day  of  less  conflict,  though  I  have 
very  imperfectly  kept  my  resolution  not  to  indulge  vain 
improbable  expectations  of  the  future ;  yet  I  have  been 
favoured  with  a  greater  freedom  from  them  than  yesterday. 

May  5. — I  have  been  suddenly  to-day  seized  with  a 
violent  depression  of  spirits  and  a  sadness  of  heart,  hard 
to  be  concealed.  I  have  not,  as  before,  fallen  into  a  long 
train  of  vain  imaginations,  drawing  scenes  improbable  and 
vain,  but  my  soul  has  lost  its  spiritual  appetite.  I  am 
looking  forward  to  distant  and  uncertain  events  with 
anticipations  of  sorrow  and  trial  impending.  O  my  Lord 
^nd  my  God,  come  to  my  relief  I 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  195 

May  9. — Oh,  what  great  troubles  and  adversities  hast 
Thou  showed  me,  and  yet  Thou  didst  turn  again  and 
refresh  me  !  The  whole  of  this  day  has  been  a  dark  and 
exceedingly  gloomy  season,  my  mind  tossed  to  and  fro 
like  the  tempestuous  sea.  I  think  the  chief  cause  of  my 
distress  arises  from  a  dread  of  dishonouring  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  by  appearing  to  have  acted  deceitfully  in  the 
eyes  of  my  family,  and  some  pride  is  at  the  bottom  of 
this  (I  like  not  to  be  thought  ill  of),  and  also  pain  for  the 
disappointment  my  dear  friend  will  soon  know.  His 
situation  grieves  me  infinitely  more  than  my  own.  I 
think,  for  myself,  I  want  nothing  more  than  I  find  in  Thy 
presence. 

May  20. — My  chief  concern  now  is  lest  I  should  have 
given  too  much  reason  for  my  dear  friend's  hoping  I  might 
yet  be  prevailed  on  to  attend  to  his  request,  and  I  feel  the 
restraint  stronger  than  ever,  that,  having  before  promised, 
I  am  not  free  to  marry.  I  paint  the  scene  of  his  return, 
and,  whichever  way  I  take,  nothing  but  misery  and  guilt 
seems  to  await  me.  Yet  oh,  I  will  continue  to  pray,  '  Heal 
me,  and  I  shall  be  healed  ;  save  me,  and  I  shall  be  saved.' 
Thou  art  my  strength  and  hope,  O  Lord  ;  though  shame 
is  my  portion  among  men.  Thou  who  knowest  my  heart. 
Thou  wilt  not  in  this  condemn  me,  for  oh,  Thou  knowest 
these  consequences  of  my  regard  for  Thy  dear  saint  were 
not  intended  by  me,  and  that  first,  when  I  regarded  him 
otherwise  than  as  a  Christian  brother,  I  believed  myself 
free  to  do  so,  imagining  him  I  first  loved  united  to  another. 
When  I  consider  this  circumstance  my  mind  is  relieved  of 
a  heavy  burden,  and  yet  I  must  lament  the  evils  that  have 
flown  from  this  mistake.  My  thoughts  have  been  called 
since  Sunday  into  the  eternal  world  by  the  sudden  death 
of  a  very  kind  friend,  H.  C.  I  have  found  this  event, 
though  the  cause  of  pain,  very  useful  to  me  at  this  time. 

May  22. — The  way  Satan  takes  is  made  plain  to  me, 
and  I  mNst  resist  him   in   the  first  pleasing  ideas   arising 

o  2 


196  HENRY  MARTYN 

from  the  remembrance  of  true  affection  in  my  dear  and 
ever-esteemed  friend.  When  I  yield  to  these,  I  am 
presently  lost  to  all  sober  thoughts,  and  plunged  soon  in 
the  deepest  sorrow  for  the  distress  it  has  brought  on  him  ; 
then  my  conduct  towards  him  and  every  part  of  my  family 
is  painted  in  the  most  horrid  colours,  till  I  am  nearly 
distracted.  Thus  has  Satan  over  and  over  oppressed  me, 
and  relief  been  afforded  my  fainting  soul  through  the  help 
of  a  superior  power  even  than  Satan.  I  must  watch  and 
pray,  for  thus  the  Lord  will  bruise  Satan  under  my  feet. 

August  6. — This  season  recalls  a  dear  friend  to  my 
remembrance.  Oh,  may  he  occupy  no  more  of  my  thoughts 
and  affections  than  is  consistent  with  the  will  of  God,  and 
pleasing  in  His  sight.  May  these  resignations  be  mani- 
fested by  us  both. 

August  9. — Just  two  years  since  I  parted  from  a  dear 
friend  and  brother,  whose  memory  will  ever  be  cherished 
by  me.  Blessed  be  God  !  I  feel  now  as  if  he  was  the 
inhabitant  of  another  world,  rather  than  of  another  part 
of  this  earth. 

On  October  10, 1806,  on  the  close  of  his  preparations  for 
departure  to  Dinapore,  '  at  night  the  missionaries,  etc.,  met 
us  at  the  pagoda  for  the  purpose  of  commending  me  to  the 
grace  of  God.'  '  My  soul  never  yet  had  such  Divine  enjoy- 
ment. I  felt  a  desire  to  break  from  the  body,  and  join  the 
high  praises  of  the  saints  above.'  Next  day,  in  Calcutta,  at 
evening  worship  at  Mr.  Myers',  '  I  found  my  heaven  begun 
on  earth.  No  work  so  sweet  as  that  of  praying  and  living 
wholly  to  the  service  of  God.'  On  Sunday,  the  1 2th,  '  at 
night  I  took  my  leava  of  the  saints  in  Calcutta  in  a  sermon 
on  Acts  XX.  32.  But  how  very  far  from  being  in  spirit 
like  the  great  apostle.'  On  Monday  he  went  up  by  land 
to  Barrackpore  with  Mr.  Brown^  '  happy  in  general.'     On 


CALCUTTA   AND  SERAMPORE,    1806  197 

Tuesday    '  Corrie  came  to  me  at  the  pagoda  and  prayed 
with  me.' 

1806,  October  15. — Took  my  leave  of  the  family  at 
Aldeen  in  morning  worship  ;  but  I  have  always  found  my 
heart  most  unable  to  be  tender  and  solemn  when  occasions 
most  require  it.  At  eleven  I  set  off  in  a  budgerow  with 
Mr.  Brown,  Corrie,  and  Parson.  Marshman  saw  us  as  we 
passed  the  mission-house,  and  could  not  help  coming  aboard. 
He  dined  with  us,  and  after  going  on  a  little  way  left  us 
with  a  prayer.  About  sunset  we  landed  at  the  house  of  the 
former  French  governor,  and  walked  five  miles  through 
villages  to  Chandernagore,  where  we  waited  at  an  hotel  till 
the  boats  came  up.  With  the  French  host  I  found  a  liberty 
I  could  not  have  hoped  for  in  his  language,  and  was  so 
enabled  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  him.  There  are  two  Italian 
monks  in  this  place,  who  say  Mass  every  day.  I  wished 
much  to  visit  the  fathers,  if  there  had  been  time.  A  person 
of  Calcutta,  here  for  his  health,  troubled  us  with  his 
profaneness,  but  we  did  not  let  him  go  unwarned,  nor  kept 
back  the  counsel  of  God.  At  night  in  the  budgerow  I 
prayed  with  my  dear  brethren. 

October  16. — Rose  somewhat  dejected,  and  walked  on 
to  Chinsurah,  the  Dutch  settlement,  about  three  miles. 
There  we  breakfasted,  and  dined  with  Mr.  Forsyth,  the 
missionary.  We  all  enjoyed  great  happiness  in  the  presence 
and  blessing  of  our  God.  Mr.  Forsyth  came  on  with  us 
from  Chinsurah,  till  we  stopped  at  sunset  opposite  Bandel, 
a  Portuguese  settlement,  and  then  we  had  Divine  service. 
I  prayed  and  found  my  heart  greatly  enlarged.  After  his 
departure  our  conversation  was  suitable  and  spiritual. 
How  sweet  is  prayer  to  my  soul  at  this  time !  I  seem  as  if 
I  never  could  be  tired,  not  only  of  spiritual  joys,  but  of 
spiritual  employments,  since  they  are  now  the  same. 

October  17. — My  dear  brethren,  on  account  of  the  bad 
weather,  were  obliged  to  leave  me  to-day.     So  we  spent 


198  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  whole  morning  in  a  Divine  ordinance  in  which  each 
read  a  portion  of  Scripture  and  all  sang  and  prayed.  Mr. 
Brown's  passage,  chosen  from  Joshua  i.,  was  very  suitable, 
'Have  I  not  commanded  thee?'  Let  this  be  an  answer  to 
my  fears,  O  my  Lord,  and  an  assurance  that  I  am  in  Thy 
work.  It  was  a  very  affecting  season  to  me.  In  prayer 
I  was  very  far  from  a  state  of  seriousness  and  affection. 
Indeed,  I  have  often  remarked  that  I  have  never  yet 
prayed  comfortably  with  friends  when  it  has  been  pre- 
ceded by  a  chapter  of  the  Revelation.  Perhaps  because 
I  depend  too  much  on  the  feelings  which  the  imagery 
of  that  book  excites,  instead  of  putting  myself  into  the 
hands  of  the  Spirit,  the  only  author  of  the  prayer  of  faith. 
They  went  away  in  their  boat,  and  I  was  left  alone  for 
the  first  time,  with  none  but  natives. 


199 


CHAPTER  VI 

DINAPORE   AND   PATNA,    1807-1809 

Until,  in  1852  and  the  ten  years  following,  Lord  Dal- 
housie's  railway  up  the  Ganges  valley  was  completed  to 
Allahabad,  the  usual  mode  of  proceeding  up-country  from 
Calcutta  was  by  the  house-boat  known  as  the  budgerow, 
which  is  still  common  on  the  many  rivers  of  Bengal  where 
English  planters  and  officials  are  found.  At  the  rate  of 
twenty-five  miles  a  day  the  traveller  is  towed  up  against 
stream  by  the  boatmen.  When  time  is  no  object,  and 
opportunities  are  sought  for  reading,  shooting,  and  inter- 
course with  the  natives,  the  voyage  is  delightful  in  the  cool 
season.  Henry  Martyn  rejoiced  in  six  weeks  of  this 
solitary  life — alone  yet  not  alone,  and.  ever  about  his 
Father's  business.  His  studies  were  divided  between 
Hindustani  and  Sanskrit ;  he  was  much  occupied  in  prayer 
and  in  the  reading  of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures. Morning  and  evening  he  spent  himself  among  the 
people  on  the  banks,  and  at  the  ghauts  and  bazaars  of 
the  mighty  river,  preaching  Christ  and  spreading  abroad 
the  New  Testament.  The  dense  population  and  the 
spiritual  darkness,  as  the  panorama  of  native  life  moved 
hourly  before  his  eyes,  on  river  and  on  land,  stirred  up  the 
busiest  of  Christians  to  be  still  busier,  in  spite  of  his  fast- 
wasting  body  ;  '  What  a  wretched  life  shall  I  lead  if  I  do 


200  HENRY  MARTYN 

not  exert  myself  from  morning  till  night,  in  a  place  where, 
through  whole  territories,  I  seem  to  be  the  only  light ! ' 
His  gun  supplied  him  with  small  game,  '  enough  to  make  a 
change  with  the  curry.' 

At  Cutwa,  one  of  Carey's  mission  stations,  he  had 
fellowship  with  Chamberlain,  receiving  that  '  refreshment  of 
spirit  which  comes  from  the  blessing  of  God  on  Christian 
communion.'  '  Tell  Marshman,'  he  wrote,  '  with  my 
affectionate  remembrance,  that  I  have  seriously  begun  the 
Sanskrit  Grammar.'  To  Ward  he  sends  a  list  of  errata 
which  he  found  in  a  tract  in  the  Persian  character.  He 
had  his  Serampore  moonshi  with  him.  At  Berhampore, 
soon  to  be  occupied  by  Mr.  Parson  as  chaplain,  and  by  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  he  spent  some  time,  for  it  was 
the  great  military  station  of  the  old  Nawab  Nazim's 
capital,  Moorshidabad,  which  Clive  described  as  wealthier 
than  London,  and  quite  as  populous.  Henry  Martyn  at 
once  walked  into  the  hospital,  where  the  surgeon  im- 
mediately recognised  him  as  an  old  schoolfellow  and 
townsman.  But  even  with  such  help  he  could  not 'induce 
the  men  to  rise  and  assemble  for  Divine  service.  '  I  left 
three  books  with  them  and  went  away  amidst  the  sneers 
and  titters  of  the  common  soldiers.  Certainly  it  is  one  of 
the  greatest  crosses  I  am  called  to  bear,  to  take  pains  to 
make  people  hear  me.  It  is  such  a  struggle  between  a  sense 
of  propriety  and  modesty  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  sense  of 
duty  on  the  other,  that  I  find  nothing  equal  to  it'  At 
Rajmahal,  like  Carey  six  years  before,  he  met  some  of  the 
hill  tribes — '  wrote  down  from  their  mouth  some  of  the 
names  of  things.' 

At  Maldah  he  was  in  the  heart  of  the  little  Christian 
community   which,    under    Charles    Grant    twenty   years 


DJ NAP  ORE  AND  PATNA,    1807- 1809  201 

before,  had  proved  the  salt  of  Anglo-Indian  society,  and 
had  made  the  first  attempt  with  Carey's  assistance  to 
open  vernacular  Christian  schools.  With  Mr.  EUerton, 
whose  wife  had  witnessed  the  duel  between  Warren 
Hastings  and  Philip  Francis,  and  who  as  a  widow  indeed 
lived  to  the  Mutiny  of  1857  as  the  friend  of  Bishop  Daniel 
Wilson,  he  went  to  Gomalty,  and  visited  one  of  the  schools. 
'The  cheerful  faces  of  the  little  boys,  sitting  cross-legged 
on  their  mats  round  the  floor,  much  delighted  me.  While 
they  displayed  their  power  of  reading,  their  fathers, 
mothers,  etc.,  crowded  in  numbers  round  the  door  and 
windows.'  Here  we  see  the  now  vast  educational  system 
of  Bengal  in  the  birth.  Not  less  striking  is  the  contrast,  due 
to  the  progress  of  that  system  on  its  missionary  side,  when 
we  find  Martyn,  in  1806,  recording  his  surprise  at  the 
extraordinary  fear  and  unwillingness  of  the  people  to  take 
tracts  and  books.  One  postmaster,  when  he  found 
what  the  booklet  was  about,  returned  it  with  the  remark 
that  a  person  who  had  his  legs  in  two  boats  went  on  his 
way  uncomfortably.  Passing  Colgong  and  Monghyr,  he 
'reached  Patna.  Walked  about  the  scene  of  my  future 
ministry  with  a  spirit  almost  overwhelmed  at  the  sight  of 
the  immense  multitudes.'  On  November  26  he  arrived  at 
Dinapore — '  the  multitudes  at  the  water-side  prodigious.' 

Nowhere,  in  British  India  as  it  was  in  1807,  could 
Henry  Martyn  have  found  a  better  training  field,  at  once 
as  chaplain  to  the  troops  and  missionary  to  the  Moham- 
medans, than  the  Patna  centre  of  the  great  province 
of  Bihar.  For  fourteen  miles,  Patna,  the  Mohammedan 
city,  Bankipore,  the  British  civil  station,  and  Dinapore,  the 
British  military  station,  line  the  right  bank  of  the  Ganges, 
which  is  there  two  miles  broad.     Patna  itself — '  the  city,' 


202  HENRY  MARTYN 

as  the  word  means— was  the  Buddhist  capital  to  which 
the  Greek  ambassador  Megasthenes  came  from  Seleukos 
Nikator,  300  B.C.,  and  the  Chinese  pilgrim,  Hwen  T'sang, 
637  years  A.D.  But  under  the  Mogul  emperors  and  down 
to  the  present  day,  Patna  has  been  the  focus  of  the  most 
fanatical  sect  of  Islam,  There  Meer  Kasim  murdered 
sixty  Englishmen  in  1763  ;  and  so  little  did  a  century's 
civilisation  affect  the  place,  which  Christian  missionaries, 
except  Martyn,  neglected  till  recently,  that  in  1857  it  was 
a  centre  of  the  Mutiny,  and  in  1872  it  was  the  nucleus  of 
Wahabi  rebellion.  The  second  city  in  Bengal  next  to 
Calcutta,  and  the  fifth  city  in  all  India  in  inhabitants, 
Patna  with  Bankipore  and  Dinapore  commanded  an 
accessible  native  population  of  half  a  million.  Such 
was  Henry  Martyn 's  first  '  parish '  in  the  East.  For  the 
mass  of  these  he  opened  schools  and  translated  the  Word  of 
God  ;  with  their  learned  men  he  '  disputed  '  continually,  in 
the  spirit  of  Paul  seeking  to  commend  to  them  the  very 
Christ. 

Besides  the  Company's  civil  servants  in  Bankipore 
whom  he  never  ceased  to  influence,  he  was  specially 
charged  with  the  spiritual  care  of  two  European  regiments, 
consisting  at  one  time  of  1,700  men  and  80  officers  in  various 
positions.  Then  and  up  till  i860,  when  what  was  known 
as  '  the  White  Mutiny '  led  the  Queen's  Government  to 
disband  the  troops,  the  East  India  Company  had  a  European 
force  of  its  own,  specially  recruited  and  paid  more  highly 
than  the  royal  regiments.  The  men  were  generally  better 
educated  than  the  ordinary  private  of  those  days,  were, 
indeed,  often  runaway  sons  of  good  families  and  dis- 
reputable adventurers  from  many  countries.  As  a  fighting 
force  they  were  splendid  veterans ;    in  all  other  respects 


DI NAP  ORE  AND  PATNA,    1807- 1809  203 

their  history  and  character  as  well  as  his  own  experi- 
ence of  them  on  board  ship,  justified  Martyn's  language  in 
a  letter  to  Mr.  Brown.  '  My  disdainful  and  abandoned 
countrymen  among  the  military  ;  they  are  impudent  chil- 
dren and  stiff-hearted,  and  will  receive,  I  fear,  my  ministra- 
tions, as  all  the  others  have  done,  with  scorn.  Yet  Jesus 
wept  over  Jerusalem.  Henceforward  let  me  live  with 
Christ  alone.'  How  loving  and  faithful,  if  not  always 
tender,  his  ministry  was  among  them  and  their  native 
women,  and  how  it  gained  their  respect  till  it  formed  a 
little  Church  in  the  army,  we  shall  see. 

Having  settled  down  in  barrack  apartments  at  50  rupees 
a  month  till  he  should  get  a  house  against  the  hot  season, 
and  having  called  on  the  general  commanding  and  others, 
after  the  Anglo-Indian  fashion,  he  reported  to  his  longing 
friends  in  Aldeen  :  '  I  stand  alone ;  ^  not  one  voice  is 
heard  saying,  "  I  wish  you  good  luck  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord."  I  offered  to  com.e  over  to  Bankipore  to 
officiate  to  them  on  the  Sabbath.  They  are  going  to  take 
this  into  consideration.  I  have  found  out  two  schools  in 
Dinapore.  I  shall  set  on  foot  one  or  two  schools  without 
delay,  and  by  the  time  the  scholars  are  able  to  read  we  can 
get  books  ready  for  them.'  In  this  spirit  and  by  a  renewed 
act  of  self-dedication  he  entered  on  the  year  1807  : 

Seven  years  have  passed  away  since  I  was  first  called 
of  God.  Before  the  conclusion  of  another  seven  years,  how 
probable  is  it  that  these  hands  will  have  mouldered  into 
dust !  But  be  it  so  :  my  soul  through  grace  hath  received 
the  assurance  of  eternal  life,  and    I  see  the  days  of  my 

'  Even  in  1889  we  find  a  Patna  missionary  writing  of  his  work  from 
Bankipore  as  a  centre  :  '  The  people  in  every  village,  except  those  on  the 
Dinapore  road,  said  that  no  Sahib  had  ever  been  in  their  village  before. 
Sometimes  my  approach  was  the  cause  of  considerable  alarm.' 


204  HENRY  MARTYN 

pilgrimage  shortening  without  a  wish  to  add  to  their 
number.  But  oh,  may  I  be  stirred  up  to  a  faithful  discharge 
of  my  high  and  awful  work  ;  and  laying  aside,  as  much 
as  may  be,  all  carnal  cares  and  studies,  may  I  give  myself 
to  this  '  one  thing.'  The  last  has  been  a  year  to  be 
remembered  by  me,  because  the  Lord  has  brought  me 
safely  to  India,  and  permitted  me  to  begin,  in  one  sense, 
my  missionary  work.  My  trials  in  it  have  been  very  few ; 
everything  has  turned  out  better  than  I  expected  ;  loving- 
kindness  and  tender  mercies  have  attended  me  at  every 
step  :  therefore  here  will  I  sing  His  praise.  I  have  been  an 
unprofitable  servant,  but  the  Lord  hath  not  cut  me  off:  I 
have  been  wayward  and  perverse,  yet  He  has  brought  me 
further  on  the  way  to  Zion  ;  here,  then,  with  sevenfold 
gratitude  and  affection,  would  I  stop  and  devote  myself  to 
the  blissful  service  of  my  adorable  Lord.  May  He  continue 
His  patience.  His  grace.  His  direction.  His  spiritual  influ- 
ences, and  I  shall  at  last  surely  come  off  conqueror.  May 
He  speedily  open  my  mouth,  to  make  known  the  mysteries 
of  the  Gospel,  and  in  great  mercy  grant  that  the  heathen 
may  receive  it  and  live  ! 

The  hostility  of  the  officers  and  civilians  to  his  message 
sometimes  became  scorn,  when  they  saw  his  efforts  to 
teach  and  preach  to  the  natives.  These  were  days  when 
the  Patna  massacre  was  still  remembered.  So  few  baptized 
Christians  knew  the  power  of  the  Faith  which  they 
practically  dishonoured,  that  they  had  no  desire  to  make  it 
known  to  others ;  many  even  actually  resented  the  preaching 
of  Christ  to  the  people,  as  both  politically  dangerous  and 
socially  an  insult  to  the  ruling  race.  This  feeling  has  long 
since  disappeared  in  India  at  least,  though  its  expression  is 
not  unknown  in  some  of  the  colonies  where  the  land  is  held 
by  the  dark  savages.  Henry  Martyn  keenly  felt  such 
opposition,  and  none  the  less  that  the  natives  of  the  Patna 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  205 

district — especially  the  Mohammedans — were  in  their  turn 
hostile  to  a  government  which  had  supplanted  them  so 
recently.  A  few  weeks  after  his  arrival  we  find  him  writing 
this  in  his  Journal : 

1806,  December  I. — Early  this  morning  I  set  off  in  my 
palanquin  for  Patna.  Something  brought  the  remembrance 
of  my  dear  Lydia  so  powerfully  to  my  mind  that  I  could 
not  cease  thinking  of  her  for  a  moment.  I  know  not  when 
my  reflections  seemed  to  turn  so  fondly  towards  her  ;  at 
the  same  time  I  scarcely  dare  to  wish  her  to  come  to  this 
country.  The  whole  country  is  manifestly  disaffected.  I 
was  struck  at  the  anger  and  contempt  with  which  multi- 
tudes of  the  natives  eyed  me  in  my  palanquin. 

December  2. — On  my  way  back  called  on  Mr.  D.,  the 
Judge,  and  Mr.  R,  at  Rankipore.  Mr.  F.'s  conversation 
with  me  about  the  natives  was  again  a  great  trial  to  my 
spirit  ;  but  in  the  multitude  of  my  troubled  thoughts  I  still 
saw  that  there  is  a  strong  consolation  in  the  hope  set  before 
us.  Let  men  do  their  worst,  let  me  be  torn  to  pieces,  and 
my  dear  L.  torn  from  me  ;  or  let  me  labour  for  fifty  years 
amidst  scorn,  and  never  seeing  one  soul  converted  ;  still  it 
shall  not  be  worse  for  my  soul  in  eternity,  nor  worse  for  it 
in  time.  Though  the  heathen  rage  and  the  English  people 
imagine  a  vain  thing,  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  controls  all  events, 
is  my  friend,  my  master,  my  God,  my  all.  On  the  Rock 
of  Ages  when  I  feel  my  foot  rest  my  head  is  lifted  up 
above  all  mine  enemies  round  about,  and  I  sing,  yea,  I  will 
sing  praises  unto  the  Lord.  If  I  am  not  much  mistaken, 
sore  trials  are  awaiting  me  from  without.  Yet  the  time 
will  come  when  they  will  be  over.  Oh,  what  sweet  refuge 
to  the  weary  soul  does  the  grave  appear !  There  the 
wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  there  the  weary  are  at 
rest.  Here  every  man  I  meet  is  an  enemy  ;  being  an 
enemy  to  God,  he  is  an  enemy  to  me  also  on  that  account  ; 
but  he  is  an  enemy  too  to  me  because  I  am  an  Englishman. 


2o6  HENRY  MARTYN 

Oh,  what  a  place  must  heaven  be,  where  there  are  none  but 
friends  !  England  appears  almost  a  heaven  upon  earth, 
because  there  one  is  not  viewed  as  an  unjust  intruder ; 
but,  oh,  the  heaven  of  my  God  !  the  general  assembly  of 
the  first-born,  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect,  and 
Jesus !  Oh,  let  me  for  a  little  moment  labour  and  suffer 
reproach ! 

1 807,  January  2. — They  seem  to  hate  to  see  me  asso- 
ciating at  all  with  the  natives,  and  one  gave  me  a  hint  a 
few  days  ago  about  taking  my  exercise  on  foot.  But  if 
our  Lord  had  always  travelled  about  in  His  palanquin,  the 
poor  woman  who  was  healed  by  touching  the  hem  of  His 
garment  might  have  perished.  Happily  I  am  freed  from 
the  shackles  of  custom  ;  and  the  fear  of  man,  though  not 
extirpated,  does  not  prevail. 

January  8. — Pundit  was  telling  me  to-day  that  there 
was  a  prophecy  in  their  books  that  the  English  should 
remain  one  hundred  years  in  India,  and  that  forty  years 
were  now  elapsed  of  that  period  ;  that  there  should  be  a 
great  change,  and  they  should  be  driven  out  by  a  king's 
son,  who  should  then  be  born.  Telling  this  to  moonshi, 
he  said  that  about  the  same  time  the  Mussulmans  expected 
some  great  events,  such  as  the  coming  of  Dujjel,  and  the 
spread  of  Islam  over  the  earth. 

Janiiaiy  29. — The  expectation  from  prophecy  is  very 
prevalent  hereabouts  that  the  time  is  coming  when  all  the 
Hindus  will  embrace  the  religion  of  the  English  ;  and  the 
pundit  says  that  in  many  places  they  had  already  begun. 
About  Agra,  and  Delhi,  and  Narwa,  in  the  Mahratta 
dominions,  there  are  many  native  Christian  families. 

Henry  Martyn's  occupation  of  the  Aldeen  Pagoda  had 
resulted,  after  his  departure,  in  the  formation,  by  Brown, 
Corrie,  Parson,  and  Marmaduke  Thompson,  the  Madras 
chaplain,  of  what  would  now  be  called  a  clerical  club,  with 
these  three  objects — to  aid  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  207 

Society,  then  recently  established ;  to  help  forward  the 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  languages  of  the 
East  ;  and  especially  to  meet  the  whole  expense  of  the 
Sanskrit  and  Greek  Testaments,  and  to  send  on  to  Mr. 
Brown,  for  circulation,  a  quarterly  report  of  the  prospects, 
plans,  and  actual  situation  of  each  member  so  far  as  the 
Church  is  concerned.  Of  this  Evangelical  Anglican 
Brotherhood  Martyn  seems  to  have  been  the  most  active 
member  during  his  brief  career.  His  translations  were 
made  for  it,  in  the  first  instance.  *  The  Synod,'  or  '  the 
Associated  Clergy,'  as  he  called  it  at  different  times,  when 
as  yet  there  was  no  Bishop  of  Calcutta,  consciously  linked 
him  to  the  fellowship  of  the  Saints,  to  the  Church  and  the 
University  from  which  he  had  come  forth.  We  find  him 
noting  seven  years  after  '  the  day  I  left  Cambridge  :  my 
thoughts  frequently  recurred  with  many  tender  recollections 
to  that  beloved  seat  of  my  brethren,  and  again  I  wandered 
in  spirit  amongst  the  trees  on  the  banks  of  the  Cam.' 

The  letters  from  these  four  chaplains  cheered  him  at 
Dinapore  when  he  was '  very  much  depressed  in  spirits,'  and 
he  hastens  to  write  to  each,  giving  this  picture  of  his  life : 

From  a  solitary  walk  on  the  banks  of  the  river  I  had 
just  returned  to  my  dreary  rooms,  and  with  the  reflection 
that  just  at  this  time  of  the  day  I  could  be  thankful  for  a 
companion,  was  taking  up  the  flute  to  remind  myself 
of  your  social  meetings  in  worship,  when  your  two 
packages  of  letters,  which  had  arrived  in  my  absence,  were 
brought  to  me.  For  the  contents  of  them,  all  I  can  say  is, 
Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless 
His  holy  name !  The  arrival  of  another  dear  brother,  and 
the  joy  you  so  largely  partake  of  in  fellowship  with  God 
and  with  one  another,  act  as  a  cordial  to  my  soul.  They 
show    me  what    I    want   to    learn,   that    the    Lord    God 


2o8  HENRY  MARTYN 

Omnipotent  reigneth,  and  that  they  that  keep  the  faith  of 
Jesus  are  those  only  whom  God  visits  with  His  strong 
consolations.  I  want  to  keep  in  view  that  our  God  is  the 
God  of  the  whole  earth,  and  that  the  heathen  are  given  to 
His  exalted  Son,  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  a 
possession. 

Continually  his  love  of  music  breaks  forth  alike  for 
the  worship  of  God  and  the  association  of  friendship  and 
affection.  His  correspondence  with  Brown  was  regular, 
but  as  that  of  a  son  with  a  father.  His  letters  to  Corrie, 
his  old  Cambridge  junior,  are  frank  and  free.  His  joy  was 
great  when  Corrie  was  stationed  at  the  rock-fortress  of 
Chunar,  not  very  far  from  Dinapore,  so  that  they  occasion- 
ally met  and  officiated  for  each  other.  But  up  to  this  time 
his  chief,  his  almost  fearful  human,  delight  was  to  think  of 
Lydia  by  night  and  by  day. 

1806,  December  10. — A  dream  last  night  was  so  like 
reality,  and  the  impression  after  it  was  so  deep  upon  my 
spirits,  that  I  must  record  the  date  of  it.  It  was  about 
Lydia.  I  dreamt  that  she  had  arrived,  but  that  after  some 
conversation  I  said  to  her, '  I  know  this  is  a  dream  ;  it  is  too 
soon  after  my  letter  for  you  to  have  come.'  Alas  !  it  is 
only  a  dream  ;  and  with  this  I  awoke,  and  sighed  to  think 
that  it  was  indeed  only  a  dream.  Perhaps  all  my  hope 
about  her  is  but  a  dream !  Yet  be  it  so  ;  whatever  God 
shall  appoint  must  be  good  for  us  both,  and  with  that  I  will 
endeavour  to  be  tranquil  and  happy,  pursuing  my  way 
through  the  wilderness  with  equal  steadiness,  whether  with 
or  without  a  companion. 

December  14.  (Sunday.) — Service  performed  by  an 
after  order,  at  ten  o'clock.  The  general  was  present,  about 
twenty  officers,  and  some  of  their  ladies.  I  preached  on  the 
parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field.     Much  of  the  rest  of  the 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  209 

day  I  was  in  great  distraction,  owing  to  the  incessant  re 
currence  of  thoughts  about  Lydia.  My  impatience  and 
fear  respecting  her  sometimes  rose  to  such  a  height  that  I 
felt  almost  as  at  Falmouth,  when  I  was  leaving  Europe,  as 
I  thought  to  see  her  no  more.  But  in  the  evening  it  pleased 
the  Lord  to  show  me  something  of  the  awful  nearness  of 
the  world  of  spirits,  and  the  unmeasurable  importance  of 
my  having  my  thoughts  and  cares  devoted  to  my  missionary 
work.  Thus  I  obtained  peace.  I  prayed  in  sincerity  and 
fervour,  that  if  there  were  any  obstacle  in  the  sight  of  God, 
the  Lord  might  never  suffer  us  to  meet. 

December  21.  (Sunday.)  —  In  the  evening,  after  a  solemn 
season  of  prayer,  I  received  letters  from  Europe,  one  from 
Cousin  T.,  Emma,  Lydia,  and  others.  The  torrent  of 
vivid  affection  which  passed  through  my  heart  at  receiving 
such  assurances  of  regard  continued  almost  without  inter- 
mission for  four  hours.  Yet,  in  reflection  afterwards,  the 
few  words  my  dearest  Lydia  wrote  turned  my  joy  into 
tender  sympathy  with  her.  Who  knows  what  her  heart 
has  suffered  !  After  all,  our  God  is  our  best  portion  ;  and 
it  is  true  that  if  we  are  never  permitted  to  meet,  we  shall 
enjoy  blissful  intercourse  for  ever  in  glory. 

December  22. — Thinking  far  too  much  of  dear  Lydia  all 
day. 

December  23. — Set  apart  the  chiet  part  of  this  day  for\ 
prayer,  with  fasting ;  but  I  do  not  know  that  my  soul  got 
much  good.  Oh,  what  need  have  I  to  be  stirred  up  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  to  exert  myself  in  prayer  !  Had  no  freedom 
or  power  in  prayer,  though  some  appearance  of  tenderness. 
Lydia  is  a  snare  to  me  ;  I  think  of  her  so  incessantly,  and 
with  such  foolish  and  extravagant  fondness,  that  my  heart 
is  drawn  away  from  God.  Thought  at  night.  Can  that  be 
true  love  which  is  other  than  God  would  have  it  ?  No ; 
that  which  is  lawful  is  most  genuine  when  regulated  by 
the  holy  law  of  God. 

December  25. — Preached  on  i  Tim.    i.    15    to  a  large; 

P 


2IO  HENRY  MARTYN 

congregation.  Those  who  remained  at  the  Sacrament 
were  chiefly  ladies,  and  none  of  them  young  men.  My 
heart  still  entangled  with  this  idolatrous  affection,  and 
consequently  unhappy.  Sometimes  I  gained  deliverance 
from  it  for  a  short  time,  and  was  happy  in  the  love  of  God. 
How  awful  the  thought,  that  while  perishing  millions 
demand  my  every  thought  and  care,  my  mind  should  be 
distracted  about  such  an  extreme  trifle  as  that  of  my  own 
comfort !  Oh,  let  me  at  last  have  done  with  it,  and  the 
merciful  God  save  me  from  departing  from  Him,  and 
committing  that  horrible  crime  of  forsaking  the  foun- 
tain of  living  waters,  and  hewing  out  to  myself  broken 
cisterns. 

As  the  delightful  cold  season  of  the  Bihar  uplands 
passed  all  too  quickly,  and  the  dry  hot  winds  of  Upper 
India  began  to  scorch  its  plains,  the  solitary  man  began 
to  think  it  '  impossible  I  could  ever  subsist  long  in  such  a 
climate.'  From  April  1807  his  hereditary  disease  made 
rapid  advances,  while  he  reproached  himself  for  lassitude 
and  comparative  idleness,  and  put  additional  constraint 
on  himself  to  work  and  to  pray  unceasingly.  From  this 
time  his  Journal  has  frequent  records  of  sickness,  of  loss 
of  appetite,  and  of  'pain'  in  his  ministrations,  ending  in 
loss  of  voice  altogether  for  a  time.  Corrie  and  Brown  and 
his  other  correspondents  remonstrated,  but  they  were  at  a 
distance.  He  needed  a  watchful  and  authoritative  nurse 
such  as  only  a  wife  could  be,  and  he  found  only  lack  of 
sympathy  or  active  opposition.  He  lived,  as  we  can  now  see, 
as  no  white  man  in  the  tropics  in  any  rank  of  life  should  live, 
from  sheer  simplicity,  unselfishness,  and  consuming  zeal. 
When  the  hot  winds  drove  him  out  of  the  barracks,  the  first 
rainy  season  flooded  his  house.  At  all  times  and  amid  the 
insanitary  horrors  of  an  Indian  cemetery  he  had  to  bury 


DI NAP  ORE  AND  PATNA,   1807- 1809  211 

the  dead  of  a  large  cantonment  in  a  sickly  season.  His 
daily  visits  to  the  hospital  were  prolonged,  for  there  he 
came  soul  to  soul  with  the  sinner,  the  penitent,  and  the 
rejoicing.  And  all  the  time  he  is  writing  to  Corrie  and 
each  of  his  friends,  '  I  feel  anxious  for  your  health.'  To 
marry  officers  and  baptize  children  he  had  to  make  long 
journeys  by  palanquin,  and  expose  his  wasting  body  alike 
to  heat  and  rain.  But  amid  it  all  his  courage  never  fails, 
for  it  is  rooted  in  God  ;  his  heart  is  joyful,  for  he  has  the 
peace  that  passeth  all  understanding. 

1807,  May  18. — Through  great  mercy  my  health  and 
strength  are  supported  as  by  a  daily  miracle.  But  oh,  the 
heat  !  By  every  device  of  darkness  and  tatties  I  cannot 
keep  the  thermometer  below  92°,  and  at  night  in  bed  I 
seem  in  danger  of  suffocation.  Let  me  know  somewhat 
more  particularly  what  the  heat  is,  and  how  you  contrive 
to  bear  it.  The  worst  bad  effect  I  experience  is  the  utter 
loss  of  appetite.     I  dread  the  eating  time. 

July  7. — Heat  still  so  great  as  to  oblige  me  to  abandon 
my  quarters. 

Jtily  8. — Went  to  Bankipore  to  baptize  a  child.  One 
of  the  ladies  played  some  hymn  tunes  on  my  account.  If 
I  were  provided  with  proper  books  much  good  might 
be  done  by  these  visits,  for  I  meet  with  general  acceptance 
and  deference.  In  the  evening  buried  a  man  who  had 
died  in  the  hospital  after  a  short  illness.  My  conscience 
felt  again  a  conviction  of  guilt  at  considering  how 
many  precious  hours  I  waste  on  trifles,  and  how  cold  and 
lukewarm  my  spirit  is  when  addressing  souls. 

August  23.  (Sunday.) — Preached  on  Job  xix,  25-27  : 
•  I  know  that  my  redeemer  liveth.'  There  seemed  little 
or  no  attention  ;  only  one  officer  there  besides  Major  Young. 
At  Hindustani  prayers,  the  women  few,  but  attentive ; 
again  blest  with  much  freedom  ;  at  the  hospital  was  seized 


212  HENRY  MARTYN 

with  such  pain  from  over-exertion  of  my  voice,  that  I  was 
obHged  to  leave  off  and  go  away. 

To  Brown  he  writes  :  '  The  rains  try  my  constitution. 
I  am  apt  to  be  troubled  with  shortness  of  breath,  as  at 
the  time  I  left  you.  Another  rainy  reason  I  must  climb 
some  hill  and  live  there  ;  but  the  Lord  is  our  rock.  While 
there  is  work  which  we  must  do,  we  shall  live.'  Again  in 
the  early  Sunday  morning  of  August  he  dreamed — 

That  as  I  was  attacked  so  violently  in  July,  but  re- 
covered, at  the  same  time  next  year  I  should  be  attacked 
again,  and  carried  off  by  death.  This,  however,  would  only 
be  awaking  in  a  better  world.  If  I  may  but  awake  up 
satisfied  with  Thy  likeness,  why  shall  I  be  afraid?  I  think 
I  have  but  one  wish  to  live,  which  is,  that  I  may  do  the 
Lord's  work,  particularly  in  the  Persian  and  Hindustani 
translations  ;  for  this  I  could  almost  feel  emboldened  to 
supplicate,  like  Hezekiah,  for  prolongation  of  life,  even  after 
receiving  this,  which  may  be  a  warning. 

After  six  months'  experience  of  his  Dinapore-cum-Patna 
parish,  Martyn  sent  in  *  to  the  Associated  Clergy '  the 
first  quarterly  report  of  his  own  spiritual  life,  and  of  his 
work  for  others. 

April  6. — I  begin  my  first  communication  to  my  dear 
and  honoured  brethren,  with  thankfully  accepting  their 
proposal  of  becoming  a  member  of  their  society,  and  I 
bless  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  this 
new  instance  of  His  mercy  to  His  unworthy  creature.  May 
His  grace  and  favour  be  vouchsafed  to  us,  and  His  Holy 
Spirit  direct  all  our  proceedings,  and  sanctify  our  com- 
munications to  the  purposes  for  which  we  are  united. 

On  a  review  of  the  state  of  my  mind  since  my  arrival 
at  Dinapore,  I  observe  that  the  graces  of  joy  and  love 
have  been  at  a  low  ebb.     Faith  has  been  chiefly  called  into 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  213 

exercise,  and  without  a  simple  dependence  on  the  Divine 
promises  I  should  still  every  day  sink  into  fatal  despon- 
dency. Self-love  and  unbelief  have  been  suggesting  many 
foolish  fears  respecting  the  difficulties  of  my  future  work 
among  the  heathen.  The  thought  of  interrupting  a  crowd 
of  busy  people  like  those  at  Patna,  whose  every  day  is  a 
market-day,  with  a  message  about  eternity,  without  com- 
mand of  language  sufficient  to  explain  and  defend  myself, 
and  so  of  becoming  the  scorn  of  the  rabble  without  doing 
them  good,  was  offensive  to  my  pride.  The  manifest  dis- 
affection of  the  people,  and  the  contempt  with  which  they 
eyed  me,  confirmed  my  dread.  Added  to  this  the  unjust 
proceedings  of  many  of  the  principal  magistrates  hereabout 
led  me  to  expect  future  commotions  in  the  country,  and 
that  consequently  poverty  and  murder  would  terminate  my 
career. 

*  Sufficient  for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof ' — '  As 
thy  days  are  so  shall  thy  strength  be,'  were  passages 
continually  brought  to  my  remembrance,  and  with 
these  at  last  my  mind  grew  quiet.  Our  countrymen,  when 
speaking  of  the  natives,  said,  as  they  usually  do,  that  they 
cannot  be  converted,  and  if  they  could  they  would  be  worse 
than  they  are.  Though  I  have  observed  before  now  that 
the  English  are  not  in  the  way  of  knowing  much  about  the 
natives,  yet  the  number  of  difficulties  they  mentioned 
proved  another  source  of  discouragement  to  me.  It  is  sur- 
prising how  positively  they  are  apt  to  speak  on  this  subject, 
from  their  never  acknowledging  God  in  anything :  '  Thy 
judgments  are  far  above  out  of  his  sight'  If  we  labour  to  the 
end  of  our  days  without  seeing  one  convert,  it  shall  not  be 
worse  for  us  in  time,  and  our  reward  is  the  same  in  eternity. 
The  cause  in  which  we  are  engaged  is  the  cause  of  mercy 
and  truth,  and  therefore,  in  spite  of  seeming  impossibilities, 
it  must  eventually  prevail. 

I  have  been  also  occasionally  troubled  with  infidel 
thoughts,  which  originated  perhaps  from  the  cavillings  of 


214  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  Mohammedans  about  the  person  of  Christ  ;  but  these 
have  been  never  suffered  to  be  more  than  momentary.  At 
such  times  the  awful  hoHness  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  the 
deep  seriousness  pervading  it,  were  more  refreshing  to  my 
heart  than  the  most  encouraging  promises  in  it.  How  des- 
picable must  the  Koran  appear  with  its  mock  majesty  and 
paltry  precepts  to  those  who  can  read  the  Word  of  God ! 
It  must  presently  sink  into  contempt  when  the  Scriptures 
are  known. 

Sometimes  when  those  fiery  darts  penetrated  more 
deeply,  I  found  safety  only  in  cleaving  to  God,  as  a  child 
clasps  to  his  mother's  neck.  These  things  teach  me  the 
melancholy  truth  that  the  grace  of  a  covenant  God  can 
alone  keep  me  from  apostasy  and  ruin. 

The  European  society  here  consists  of  the  military  at 
the  cantonment  and  the  civil  servants  at  Bankipore.  The 
latter  neither  come  into  church  nor  have  accepted  the 
offer  of  my  coming  to  officiate  to  them.  There  is,  how- 
ever, no  contempt  shown,  but  rather  respect.  Of  the 
military  servants  very  few  officers  attend,  and  of  late 
scarcely  any  of  the  married  families,  but  the  number  of 
privates,  and  the  families  of  the  merchants,  always  make 
up  a  respectable  congregation.  They  have  as  yet  heard 
very  little  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  I  have  in  general 
endeavoured  to  follow  the  directions  contained  in  Mr. 
Milner's  letter  on  this  subject,  as  given  in  Mr.  Brown's 
paper,  No.  4. 

At  the  hospital  I  have  read  Doddridge's  Rise  and 
Progress,  and  TJie  Pilgrim's  Progress.  As  the  people  ob- 
jected to  extempore  preaching  at  church,  I  have  in  com- 
pliance with  their  desires  continued  to  use  a  book.  But 
on  this  subject  I  should  be  glad  of  some  advice  from  my 
brethren. 

I  think  it  needless  to  communicate  the  plans  or  heads 
of  any  of  my  sermons,  as  they  have  been  chiefly  on  the 
Parables,      It  is  of  more  importance  to  observe  that  the 


DIN AP ORE  AND  PATNA,   1807- 1809  215 

Word  has  not  gone  forth  in  vain,  blessed  be  God  !  as  it  has 
hitherto  seemed  to  do  in  most  places  where  I  have  been 
called  to  minister  ;  and  this  I  feel  to  be  an  animating  testi- 
mony of  His  presence  and  blessing.  I  think  the  command- 
ing officer  of  the  native  regiment  here  and  his  lady  are 
seeking  their  salvation  in  earnest ;  they  now  refuse  all 
invitations  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  pass  most  of  that  day 
at  least  in  reading  the  Word,  and  at  all  times  discover  an 
inclination  to  religious  conversation.  Among  the  privates, 
one  I  have  little  doubt  is  truly  converted  to  God,  and  is  a 
great  refreshment  to  me.  He  parted  at  once  with  his 
native  woman,  and  allows  her  a  separate  maintenance. 
His  conversion  has  excited  much  notice  and  conversation 
about  religion  among  the  rest,  and  three  join  him  in  coming 
twice  a  week  to  my  quarters  for  exposition,  singing  and 
prayer. 

I  visit  the  English  very  little,  and  yet  have  had  sufficient 
experience  of  the  difficulty  of  knowing  how  a  minister 
should  converse  with  his  people.  I  have  myself  fallen  into 
the  worst  extreme,  and,  from  fear  of  making  them  connect 
religion  with  gloom,  have  been  led  into  such  shameful  levity 
and  conformity  to  them  as  ought  to  fill  me  with  grief  and 
deep  self-abasement. 

How  repeatedly  has  guilt  been  brought  upon  my  con- 
science in  this  way !  Oh,  how  will  the  lost  souls  with 
whom  I  have  trifled  the  hours  away  look  at  me  in  the  day 
of  judgment !  I  hope  I  am  more  and  more  convinced  of 
the  wickedness  and  folly  of  assuming  any  other  character 
than  that  of  a  minister.  I  ought  to  consider  that  my 
proper  business  with  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
hath  made  me  overseer  is  the  business  of  another  world, 
and  if  they  will  not  consider  it  in  the  same  light,  I  do  not 
think  that  I  am  bound  to  visit  them. 

About  the  middle  of  last  month,  the  Church  service 
being  ready  in  Hindustani,  1  submitted  to  the  command- 
ing officer  of  the  European  regiment  a  proposal  to  perform 


2i6  HENRY  MARTYN 

Divine  service  regularly  for  the  native  women  of  his 
regiment,  to  which  he  cordially  assented.  The  whole 
number  of  women,  about  200,  attended  with  great  readi- 
ness, and  have  continued  to  do  so.  Instead  of  a  sermon, 
the  Psalms,  and  the  appointed  lessons,  I  read  in  two 
portions  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  regularly  forward, 
and  occasionall)-  make  some  small  attempts  at  expound- 
ing. The  conversion  of  any  of  such  despised  people  is 
never  likely  perhaps  to  be  of  any  extensive  use  in  regard 
to  the  natives  at  large ;  but  they  are  a  people  committed 
to  me  by  God,  and  as  dear  to  Him  as  others  ;  and  next  in 
order  after  the  English,  they  come  within  the  expanding 
circle  of  action. 

After  much  trouble  and  delay,  three  schools  have  been 
established  for  the  native  children  on  Mr.  Creighton's 
plan — one  at  Dinapore,  one  at  Bankipore,  and  one  at 
Patna,  at  the  last  of  which  the  Persian  character  is  taught 
as  well  as  the  Nagri.  The  number  of  children  already  is 
about  sixty.  The  other  schoolmasters,  not  liking  the 
introduction  of  these  free  schools,  spread  the  report  that 
my  intention  was  to  make  them  Christians,  and  send  them 
to  Europe  ;  in  consequence  of  which  the  zemindars  re- 
tracted their  promises  of  land,  and  the  parents  refused  to 
send  their  children  ;  but  my  schoolmasters  very  sensibly 
went  to  the  people,  and  told  them, '  We  are  men  well  known 
among  you,  and  when  we  are  made  Christians  then  do  you 
begin  to  fear.'  So  their  apprehensions  have  subsided  ;  but 
when  the  book  of  Parables,  which  is  just  finished,  is  put 
into  their  hands,  I  expect  a  revival  of  their  fears.  My 
hope  is  that  I  shall  be  able  to  ingratiate  myself  a  little 
with  the  people  before  that  time  ;  but  chiefly  that  a 
gracious  God  will  not  suffer  Satan  to  keep  his  ground  any 
longer,  now  that  the  appointed  means  are  used  to  dislodge 
him.  But,  though  these  plans  should  fail,  I  hope  to  be 
strengthened  to  fight  against  him  all  my  days.  For,  from 
what  I  feel  within  and  see  without,  I  know  enough  of  him 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  217 

to  vow,  with  my  brethren,  eternal  enmity  against  him  and 
his  cause. 

Respecting  the  state  of  the  natives  hereabouts,  I  believe 
that  the  Hindus  are  lax,  for  the  rich  men  being  few  or 
none,  there  are  few  Brahmins  and  few  tumashas  {fetes), 
and  without  these  idolatry  droops.  The  Mohammedans  are 
numerous  and  ignorant,  but  from  the  best  of  them  I  can- 
not learn  that  more  than  three  arguments  can  be  offered 
for  their  religion,  which  are — the  miracles  wrought  by 
Mohammed,  those  still  wrought  by  his  followers,  and  his 
challenge  in  the  second  chapter  of  the  Koran,  about  pro- 
ducing a  chapter  like  it,  all  of  which  are  immediately 
answered. 

If  my  brethren  have  any  others  brought  forward  to 
them  they  will,  I  hope,  mention  them  ;  and  if  they  have 
observed  any  remark  or  statement  apparently  affect  a 
native's  mind,  they  will  notice  it. 

Above  all  things,  seriousness  in  argument  with  them 
seems  most  desirable,  for  without  it  they  laugh  away  the 
clearest  proofs.  Zeal  for  making  proselytes  they  are  used 
to,  and  generally  attribute  to  a  false  motive ;  but  a  tender 
concern  manifested  for  their  souls  is  certainly  new  to  them, 
and  seemingly  produces  corresponding  seriousness  in  their 
minds. 

From  an  officer  who  had  been  in  the  Mahratta  service, 
I  learned  some  time  ago  that  there  were  large  bodies  of 
Christians  at  Narwa,  in  the  Mahratta  dominions,  Sardhana, 
Delhi,  Agra,  Bettia,  Boglipore.  To  obtain  more  informa- 
tion respecting  them,  I  sent  a  circular  letter  to  the  mis- 
sionaries residing  at  the  three  latter  places,  and  have 
received  two  letters  in  reply.  The  padre  at  Boglipore  is  a 
young  man  just  arrived,  and  his  letter  contains  no  informa- 
tion. From  the  letter  of  the  padre  at  Agra  I  subjoin 
some  extracts,  premising  that  my  questions  were:  i.  By 
whom  were  you  sent  ?  2.  How  long  has  a  mission  been 
established  in  the  place  of  your  residence  ?     3.  Do  you 


2i8  HENRY  MARTYN 

itinerate,  and  to  what  distance?  4.  Have  you  any  portion 
of  the  MSS.  translated,  or  do  you  distribute  tracts?  5.  Do 
you  allow  any  remains  of  caste  to  the  baptized  ?  6.  Have 
you  schools  ?  are  the  masters  heathen  or  Christians  ?  7.  Is 
there  any  native  preacher  or  catechist?  8.  Number  of 
converts. 

In  concluding  my  report,  I  take  the  liberty  of  propos- 
ing two  questions  on  which  I  should  be  thankful  for  com- 
munications in  your  next  quarterly  report. 

1.  On  the  manner  in  which  a  minister  should  observe 
the  Sabbath  ;  whether  he  should  make  it  a  point  of  duty 
to  leave  no  part  of  his  discourses  to  prepare  on  that  day } 
Whether  our  particular  situation  in  this  country,  requiring 
redoubled  exertion  in  those  of  us  at  least  who  are  called 
to  the  heathen,  will  justify  the  introduction  of  a  secular 
work  into  the  Sabbath,  such  as  translating  the  Scrip- 
tures, etc.  ? 

2.  In  the  commencement  of  our  labours  among  the 
heathen,  to  which  model  should  our  preaching  be  con- 
formed,— to  that  of  John  the  Baptist  and  our  Saviour,  or 
that  of  the  Apostles  .-'  The  first  mode  seems  more  natural, 
and  if  necessary  for  the  Jews,  comparatively  so  enlightened, 
how  much  more  for  the  heathen,  who  have  scarcely  any 
notions  of  morality  !  On  the  other  hand,  the  preaching  of 
the  cross  has  in  all  ages  won  the  most  ignorant  savages ; 
and  the  Apostles  preached  it  at  once  to  heathens  as 
ignorant  perhaps  as  these. 

Like  Marshman  and  the  Scrampore  missionaries, 
Henry  Martyn  kept  up  a  Latin  correspondence  with  the 
missionaries  sent  from  Rome  by  the  Propaganda  to  the 
stations  founded  by  Xavier,  and  those  afterwards  established 
by  that  saint's  nephew  in  the  days  of  the  tolerant  Akbar. 
At  the  beginning  of  this  century,  Anglican,  Baptist,  and 
Romanist  missionaries  all  over  the  East  co-operated  with 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  219 

each  other  in  translation  work  and  social  intercourse. 
More  than  once  Martyn  protected  the  priest  at  Patna  from 
the  persecution  of  the  military  authorities.  He  planned  a 
visit  to  their  station  at  Bettia,  to  the  far  north,  at  the 
foot  of  the  Himalayas.  In  hospital  his  ministrations 
were  always  offered  to  the  Irish  soldiers  in  the  absence 
of  their  own  priest,  and  always  without  any  controversial 
reference.  In  his  Journal  he  is  often  indignant  at  the 
Popish  perversion  of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  and  in  preach- 
ing he  occasionally  set  forth  the  truth,  but  in  pastoral  and 
social  intercourse  he  never  failed  to  show  the  charity  of  the 
Christian  scholar  and  the  gentleman. 

Major  Young,  with  his  wife,  was  the  first  of  the  officers 
to  welcome  Martyn's  preaching.  Soon  the  men  in  hospital 
learned  to  appreciate  his  daily  visits,  and  to  attend  to  his 
earnest  reading  and  talk.  A  few  began  to  meet  with  him 
at  his  own  house  regularly,  for  prayer  and  the  exposition 
of  Holy  Scripture,  In  January,  he  writes  of  one  Sunday  : 
'  Great  attention.  I  think  the  Word  is  not  going  forth  in 
vain.  In  the  afternoon  read  at  the  hospital.  The  steward 
I  found  had  been  long  stationed  at  Tan j  ore  and  knew 
Schwartz  ;  that  Schwartz  baptized  the  natives  not  by  im- 
mersion, but  by  sprinkling,  and  with  godfathers,  and  read  the 
services  both  in  English  and  Tamul.  Felt  much  delighted 
at  hearing  anything  about  him.  The  man  told  me  that 
the  men  at  the  hospital  were  very  attentive  and  thankful 
that  I  came  amongst  them.  Passed  the  evening  with  great 
joy  and  peace  in  singing  hymns.'  In  the  heat  of  May  he 
writes  :  '  Found  fifty  sick  at  the  hospital,  who  heard  The 
Pilgrim's  Progress  with  great  delight.  Some  men  came 
to-night,  but  my  prayer  with  them  was  exceedingly  poor 
and  lifeless.' 


220  HENRY  MARTVN 

In  these  days,  thanks  to  Lord  Lawrence  and  Sir  Henry 
Norman,  there  is  a  prayer-hall  in  every  cantonment,  ever 
open  for  the  soldier  who  seeks  quiet  communion  with  God. 
Then — '  Six  soldiers  came  to  me  to-night.  To  escape  as 
much  as  possible  the  taunts  of  their  wicked  companions, 
they  go  out  of  their  barracks  in  opposite  directions  to  come 
to  me.  At  night  a  young  Scotsman  of  the  European 
regiment  came  to  me  for  a  hymn-book.  He  expressed 
with  tears  his  past  wickedness  and  determination  to  lead 
a  religious  life.'  On  the  other  side  we  have  such  passages 
as  these  :  '  What  sort  of  men  are  these  committed  to  my 
care?  I  had  given  them  one  more  warning  about  their 
whoredom  and  drunkenness,  and  it's  the  truth  grappling 
with  their  consciences  that  makes  them  furious.'  Of  the 
Company's  European  regiment  he  writes  to  Corrie  :  'A 
more  wicked  set  of  men  were,  I  suppose,  never  seen. 
The  general,  the  colonel  of  the  67th,  and  their  own 
colonel  all  acknowledge  it.  At  the  hospital  when  I  visit 
their  part,  some  go  to  a  corner  and  invoke  blasphemies  upon 
me  because,  as  they  now  believe,  the  man  I  speak  to  dies 
to  a  certainty.'  A  young  lieutenant  of  fine  abilities  he 
recommended  strenuously  to  go  into  the  ministry. 

Although,  fifteen  years  before,  Sir  John  Shore  had 
given  orders  as  to  the  building  of  churches  at  military 
stations,  and  Lord  Wellesley  had  set  an  example  of  interest 
in  the  moral  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Company's  servants, 
nothing  had  been  done  outside  of  the  three  Presidency 
cities.  All  that  Henry  Martyn  found  provided  for  him, 
as  chaplain,  on  his  first  Sunday  at  Dinapore,  was  a  long 
drum,  on  which  he  placed  the  Prayer-book.  He  was 
requested  not  to  preach,  because  the  men  could  not  stand 
so  long.     He  found  the  men  playing  at  fives  on  Sunday. 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  221 

All  that  he  soon  changed,  by  an  appeal  to  the  general  to 
put  a  stop  to  the  games  on  Sunday,  and  by  holding  service 
at  first  in  a  barrack,  and  then  in  his  own  house.  Before 
leaving  Calcutta  he  had  observed,  in  a  conversation  with 
the  Governor-General,  on  the  disgrace  of  there  being  no 
places  of  worship  at  the  principal  subordinate  stations ;  upon 
which  directions  were  given  to  prepare  plans  of  building. 
He  wrote  to  the  equally  troubled  Corrie  at  Chunar.  A 
year  later  nothing  had  been  done,  and  he  draws  this  picture 
to  Corrie  :  '  From  the  scandalous  disorder  in  which  the 
Company  have  left  the  ecclesiastical  part  of  their  affairs,  so 
that  we  have  no  place  fit,  our  assemblies  are  little  like 
worshipping  assemblies.  No  kneeling  because  no  room  ; 
no  singing,  no  responses.'  At  last  Sir  George  Barlow  sent 
an  order  for  an  estimate  for  building  a  church,  but  Martyn 
had  left  for  Cawnpore,  only  to  see  a  worse  state  of  things 
there.  But  the  faithfulness  of  the 'black'  chaplains  was 
telling.     He  writes,  on  March  14,  1808: 

The  67th  are  now  all  here.  The  number  of  their  sick 
makes  the  hospital  congregation  very  considerable,  so  that 
if  I  had  no  natives,  translations,  etc.,  to  think  of,  there  is 
call  enough  for  my  labours  and  prayers  among  all  these 
Europeans.  The  general  at  my  request  has  determined  to 
make  the  whole  body  of  troops  attend  in  three  divisions ; 
and  yesterday  morning  the  Company's  European,  and  two 
companies  of  the  King's,  came  to  church  in  great  pomp, 
with  a  fine  band  of  music  playing.  The  King's  officers, 
according  to  their  custom,  have  declared  their  intention 
not  to  call  upon  the  Company's ;  therefore  I  mean  to 
call  upon  them.  I  believe  I  told  you  that  900  of  the 
67th  are  Roman  Catholics.  It  seemed  an  uncommonly 
splendid  Mohurrum  here  also.  Mr.  H.,  an  assistant  judge 
lately   appointed    to    Patna,  joined    the   procession   in   a 


222  HENRY  MARTYN 

Hindustani  dress,  and  went  about  beating  his  breast,  etc. 
This  is  a  place  remarkable  for  such  folly.  The  old  judge, 
you  know,  has  built  a  mosque  here,  and  the  other  judge 
issued  an  order  that  no  marriage  nor  any  feasting  should 
be  held  during  the  season  of  Mohammedan  grief  A 
remarkably  sensible  young  man  called  on  me  yesterday 
with  the  Colonel  ;  they  both  seem  well  disposed  to  religion. 
I  receive  many  gratifying  testimonies  to  the  change 
apparently  taking  place  among  the  English  in  religious 
matters  in  India;  testimonies,  I  mean,  from  the  mouths 
of  the  people,  for  I  confess  I  do  not  observe  much 
myself 

Having  translated  the  Church  Service  into  Hindu- 
stani, Henry  Martyn  was  ready  publicly  to  minister  to  the 
native  women  belonging  to  the  soldiers  of  the  Company's 
European  regiment.  From  such  unions,  rarely  lawful, 
sprang  the  now  great  and  important  Eurasian  community, 
many  of  whom  have  done  good  service  to  the  Church  and 
the  Empire.  '  The  Colonel  approved,  but  told  me  that  it 
was  my  business  to  find  them  an  order,  and  not  his.' 

1807,  March  23. — So  I  issued  my  command  to  the 
Sergeant-Major  to  give  public  notice  in  the  barracks  that 
there  would  be  Divine  service  in  the  native  language  on  the 
morrow.  The  morrow  came,  and  the  Lord  sent  200  women, 
to  whom  I  read  the  whole  of  the  morning  service.  Instead 
of  the  lessons  I  began  Matthew,  and  ventured  to  expound 
a  little,  and  but  a  little.  Yesterday  we  had  a  service 
again,  but  I  think  there  were  not  more  than  100.  To 
these  I  opened  my  mouth  rather  more  boldly,  and  though 
there  was  the  appearance  of  lamentable  apathy  in  the 
countenances  of  most  of  them,  there  were  two  or  three 
who  understood  and  trembled  at  the  sermon  of  John  the 
Baptist.  This  proceeding  of  mine  is,  I  believe,  generally 
approved  among  the  English,  but  the  women  come,  I  fear, 


DJNAPORE  AND  PATNA,   1807-1809  223 

rather  because  it  is  the  wish  of  their  masters.  The  da)- 
after  attending  service  they  went  in  flocks  to  the  Mohur- 
rum,  and  even  of  those  who  are  baptized,  many,  I  am  told, 
are  so  addicted  to  their  old  heathenism,  that  they  obtain 
money  from  their  husbands  to  give  to  the  Brahmins.  Our 
time  of  Divine  service  in  English  is  seven  in  the  morning, 
and  in  Hindustani  two  in  the  afternoon.  May  the  Lord 
smile  on  this  first  attempt  at  ministration  in  the  native 
language ! 

1807,  March  23. — A  few  days  ago  I  went  to  Bankipore 
to  fulfil  my  promise  of  visiting  the  families  there  ;  and 
amongst  the  rest  called  on  a  poor  creature  whose  black 
wife  has  made  him  apostatise  to  Mohammedanism  and 
build  a  mosque.  Major  Young  went  with  me,  and  the  old 
man's  son-in-law  was  there.  He  would  not  address  a 
single  word  to  me,  nor  a  salutation  at  parting,  because  I 
found  an  occasion  to  remind  him  that  the  Son  of  God  had 
suffered  in  the  stead  of  sinners.  The  same  day  I  went  on 
to  Patna  to  see  how  matters  stood  with  respect  to  the 
school.  Its  situation  is  highly  favourable,  near  an  old  gate 
now  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  and  where  three  ways  meet ; 
neither  master  nor  children  were  there.  The  people 
imm  c'.ately  gathered  round  me  in  great  numbers,  and  the 
crowd  thickened  so  fast,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  I  could 
regain  my  palanquin.  I  told  them  that  what  they  under- 
stood by  making  people  Christians  was  not  my  intention  ; 
I  wished  the  children  to  be  taught  to  fear  God  and  become 
good  men,  and  that  if,  after  this  declaration,  they  were  still 
afraid,  I  could  do  no  more  ;  the  fault  was  not  mine,  but 
theirs.  My  schools  have  been  heard  of  among  the  English 
sooner  than  I  wished  or  expected.  The  General  observed 
to  me  one  morning  that  that  school  of  mine  made  a  very 
good  appearance  from  the  road  ;  '  but,'  said  he,  '  you  will 
make  no  proselytes.'  If  that  be  all  the  opposition  he 
makes,  I  shall  not  much  mind. 


224  HENRY  MARTYN 

A  week  later  he  wrote  : 

March  30. — Sick  in  body,  but  rather  serious  and  humble 
in  spirit,  and  so  happy  ;  corrected  the  Parables  for  a  fair 
copy.  Reading  the  Koran  and  Hindustani  Ramayuna, 
and  translating  Revelation  ;  a  German  sergeant  came  with 
his  native  woman  to  have  her  baptized  ;  I  talked  with  her 
a  good  while,  in  order  to  instruct  her,  and  found  her  extra- 
ordinarily quick  in  comprehension. 

April  I. — The  native  woman  came  again,  and  I  passed 
a  great  deal  of  time  in  instructing  her  in  the  nature  of  the 
Gospel ;  but,  alas !  till  the  Lord  touch  her  heart,  what  can 
a  man  do  ?  At  night  the  soldiers  came,  and  we  had  again 
a  very  happy  time  ;  how  graciously  the  Lord  fulfils  His 
promise  of  being  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  ! 
The  pious  soldier  grows  in  faith  and  love,  and  spoke  of 
another  who  wants  to  join  us.  They  said  that  the  native 
women  -accounted  it  a  great  honour  to  be  permitted  to 
come  to  a  church  and  hear  the  Word  of  God,  and  wondered 
why  I  should  take  such  trouble  for  them. 

*  How  shall  it  ever  be  possible  to  convince  a  Hindu  or 
Brahmin  of  anything  ? '  wrote  Henry  Martyn  to  Corrie 
after  two  years'  experience  in  Bengal. 

1 808,  January  4. — Truly,  if  ever  I  see  a  Hindu  a  real 
believer  in  Jesus,  I  shall  see  something  more  nearly 
approaching  the  resurrection  of  a  dead  body  than  any- 
thing I  have  yet  seen.  However,  I  well  remember  Mr. 
Ward's  words,  '  The  common  people  arc  angels  compared 
with  the  Brahmins.'  Perhaps  the  strong  man  armed,  that 
keeps  the  goods  in  peace,  shall  be  dispossessed  from  these, 
when  the  mighty  Word  of  God  comes  to  be  ministered 
by  us. 

*  We  shall  live  to  see  better  days.'  For  these  he  pre- 
pared his  translations  of  the  Word  of  God.     He  wished  to 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807 -1809  225 

itinerate  among  the  people,  but  his  military  duties  kept 
him  to  the  station.  When  Mr.  Brown  made  another 
attempt  to  get  him  fixed  in  the  Mission-Church  he  replied, 
'  The  evangelisation  of  India  is  a  more  important  object 
than  preaching  to  the  European  inhabitants  of  Calcutta.' 
To  Corrie  he  wrote  :  '  Those  sequestered  valleys  seen  from 
Chunar  present  an  inviting  field  for  missionary  labours. 
A  Sikh,  making  a  pilgrimage  to  Benares,  came  to  me  ;  he 
was  very  ignorant,  and  I  do  not  know  whether  he  under- 
stood what  I  endeavoured  to  show  him  about  the  folly  of 
pilgrimages,  the  nature  of  true  holiness,  and  the  plan  of 
the  Gospel.' 

i?>o^,  February  12. — Sabat  describes  so  well  the  charac- 
ter of  a  missionary  that  I  am  ashamed  of  my  great  house, 
and  mean  to  sell  it  the  first  opportunity,  and  take  the 
smallest  quarters  I  can  find.  Would  that  the  day  were 
come  when  I  might  throw  off  the  coat  and  substitute  the 
jamer ;  I  long  for  it  more  and  more  ;  and  am  often  very 
uneasy  at  being  in  the  neighbourhood  of  so  great  a  Nineveh 
without  being  able  to  do  anything  immediately  for  the 
salvation  of  so  many  perishing  souls.  What  do  you  think 
of  my  standing  under  a  shed  somewhere  in  Patna  as  the 
missionaries  did  in  the  Lai  Bazar  .''  Will  the  Government 
interfere  .''  What  are  your  sensations  on  the  late  news  ? 
I  fear  the  judgments  of  God  on  our  proud  nation,  and  that, 
as  we  have  done  nothing  for  the  Gospel  in  India,  this  vine- 
yard will  be  let  out  to  others  who  shall  bring  the  fruits  of 
it  in  their  season.  I  think  the  French  would  not  treat 
Juggernaut  with  quite  so  much  ceremony  as  we  do. 

Above  all  men  in  India,  at  that  time  and  during  the 
next  half-century,  however,  Henry  Martyn  was  a  mission- 
ary to  the  Mohammedans.  For  them  he  learned  and  he 
translated  Hindustani,   Persian,  and  Arabic,     With  their 

O 


.^ 


V 


226  HENRY  MARTYN 

moulvies  he  conducted    controversies  ;   and    for  years  he 
associated  with   himself  that   extraordinary  Arab,  Sabat, 

\  who  made  Hfe  a  burden  to  him. 

iy  Sabat  and  Abdallah,  two  Arabs  of  notable  pedigree, 

becoming  friends,  resolved  to  travel  together.  After  a 
visit  to  Mecca  they  went  to  Cabul,  where  Abdallah  entered 
,  the  service  of  Zeman  Shah,  the  famous  Ameer.  There  an 
Armenian  lent  him  the  Arabic  Bible,  he  became  a  Christian, 
and  he  fled  for  his  life  to  Bokhara.  Sabat  had  preceded  him 
there,  and  at  once  recognised  him  on  the  street.  '  I  had 
no  pity,'  said  Sabat  afterwards.  '  I  delivered  him  up  to 
Morad  Shah,  the  king.'  He  was  offered  his  life  if  he  would 
abjure  Christ.  He  refused.  Then  one  of  his  hands  was 
cut  off,  and  again  he  was  pressed  to  recant.  *  He  made  no 
answer,  but  looked  up  steadfastly  towards  heaven,  like 
Stephen,  the  first  martyr,  his  eyes  streaming  with  tears. 
He  looked  at  me,  but  it  was  with  the  countenance  of  for- 
giveness. His  other  hand  was  then  cut  off.  But  he  never 
changed,  and  when  he  bowed  his  head  to  receive  the  blow 
of  death  all  Bokhara  seemed  to  say,  "  What  new  thing  is 
this?"' 

Remorse  drove  Sabat  to  long  wanderings,  in  which  he 
came  to  Madras,  where  the  Government  gave  him  the 
office  of  mufti,  or  expounder  of  the  law  of  Islam  in  the 
civil  courts.  At  Vizagapatam  he  fell  in  with  a  copy  of  the 
Arabic  New  Testament  as  revised  by  Solomon  Negri,  and 
sent  out  to  India  by  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian 
Knowledge  in  the  middle  of  last  century.  He  compared 
it  with  the  Koran,  the  truth  fell  on  him  *  like  a  flood  of 
light,'  and  he  sought  baptism  in  Madras  at  the  hands  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Kerr.  He  was  named  Nathaniel  He  was 
then  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 


DIN  A  TORE  AND  PATNA,    1807- 1809  227 

When  the  news  reached  his  family  in  Arabia  his 
brother  set  out  to  destroy  him,  and,  disguised  as  an 
Asiatic,  wounded  him  with  a  dagger  as  he  sat  in  his  house 
at  Vizagapatam.  He  sent  him  home  with  letters  and  gifts 
to  his  mother,  and  then  gave  himself  up  to  propagate  the 
truth  he  had  once,  in  his  friend  Abdallah's  person,  perse- 
cuted to  the  death.  He  became  one  of  the  translating 
staff  of  the  Serampore  brotherhood,  and  did  good  service 
on  the  Arabic  and  Persian  Scriptures.  Mr.  John  Marshman, 
who  knew  him  well,  used  to  describe  him  as  a  man  of  lofty 
station,  of  haughty  carriage,  and  with  a  flowing  black 
beard.  Delighted  with  the  simple  life  and  devotion  of 
the  missionaries,  he  dismissed  his  two  Arab  servants,  and 
won  the  affection  of  all.  When  Serampore  arranged  to 
leave  to  Henry  Martyn  the  Persian  translation  of  the 
New  Testament,  Sabat  left  them  with  tears  in  his  eyes 
for  Dinapore.  In  almost  nothing  does  the  saintliness  of 
Martyn  appear  so  complete  as  in  the  references  in  his 
Journal  to  the  pride,  the  vanity,  the  malice,  the  rage  of  this 
*  artless  child  of  the  desert,'  when  it  became  apparent  that 
his  knowledge  of  Persian  and  Arabic  had  been  over-esti- 
mated. The  passages  are  pathetic,  and  are  equalled  only 
by  those  which,  in  the  closing  days  of  his  life,  describe  the 
dying  missionary's  treatment  by  his  Tartar  escort.  But  to 
the  last,  Sabat,  according  to  Colonel  Maclnnes  of  Penang,^ 
'  never  spoke  of  Mr.  Martyn  without  the  most  profound 
respect,  and  shed  tears  of  grief  whenever  he  recalled  how 
severely  he  had  tried  the  patience  of  this  faithful  servant 
of  God.  He  mentioned  several  anecdotes  to  show  with 
what    extraordinary    sweetness    Martyn    had    borne    his 

'   Memoir  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  T/tomaso7i,  M.A.,  by  Rev.  J.  Saigent,  M.A., 
2nd  edition,  1834,  London, 

Q2 


228  HENRY  MARTYN 

numerous  provocations.     "  He  was   less  a  man,"  he  said, 
"  than  an  angel  from  heaven." ' 

The  rest  of  Sabat's  story  may  at  once  be  told.  Moved 
by  rage  at  the  exposure,  by  the  Calcutta  moonshis,  of  the 
incorrectness  of  his  Arabic,  and  at  the  suspicions  that  his 
translations  were  copies  from  some  old  version,  Sabat 
apostatised  by  publishing  a  virulent  attack  on  Christianity. 
'  As  when  Judas  acted  the  traitor,  Ananias  the  liar,  and 
Simon  Magus  the  refined  hypocrite,  so  it  was  when  Sabat 
daringly  departed  from  the  nominal  profession  of  the  truth. 
The  righteous  sorrowed,  the  unrighteous  triumphed  ;  yet 
wisdom  was  justified  of  her  children,'  wrote  Mr.  Sargent. 
He  left  Calcutta  as  a  trader  for  Penang,  where  he  wrote  to 
the  local  newspaper  declaring  that  he  professed  Christianity 
anew,  and  he  entered  the  service  of  the  fugitive  Sultan  of 
Acheen,  on  the  north  of  Sumatra.  Thence,  when  he  was 
imprisoned  by  the  insurgents,  he  wrote  letters  with  his  own 
blood  to  the  Penang  authorities,  declaring  that  he  was  in 
some  sense  a  martyr  for  Christ.  All  the  private  efforts  of 
Colonel  Maclnnes  to  obtain  his  freedom  were  in  vain  ;  he 
was  tied  up  in  a  sack  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  In  the 
light  of  these  events  we  must  now  read  Henry  Marty n's 
Journal : 

1807,  August  24. — To  live  without  sin  is  what  I  cannot 
expect  in  this  world,  but  to  desire  to  live  without  it  may 
be  the  experience  of  every  hour.  Thinking  to-night  of 
the  qualifications  of  Sabat,  I  felt  the  conviction,  both  in 
reflection  and  prayer,  of  the  power  of  God  to  make  him 
another  St.  Paul. 

November  10. — The  very  first  day  we  began  to  spar. 
He  would  come  into  none  of  my  plans,  nor  did  I  approve 
of  his  J  but  I  gave  way,  and  by  yielding  prevailed,  for  he 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807  1S09  229 

now  does  everything  I  tell  him.  .  .  .  Sabat  lives  and  eats 
with  me,  and  goes  to  his  bungalow  at  night,  so  that  I  hope 
he  has  no  care  on  his  mind.  On  Sunday  morning  he  went 
to  church  with  me.  While  I  was  in  the  vestry  a  bearer 
took  away  his  chair  from  him,  saying  it  was  another 
gentleman's.  The  Arab  took  fire  and  left  the  church,  and 
when  I  sent  the  clerk  after  him  he  would  not  return.  He 
anticipated  my  expostulations  after  church,  and  began  to 
lament  that  he  had  two  dispositions,  one  old,  the  other 
new. 

1^0?),  January  1 1. — Sabat  sometimes  awakes  some  of  the 
evil  parts  of  my  nature.  Finding  I  have  no  book  of  Logic, 
he  wishes  to  translate  one  of  his  compositions,  to  instruct  me 
in  that  science.  He  is  much  given  to  contradict,  and  set 
people  right,  and  that  he  does  with  an  air  so  dogmatical, 
that  I  have  not  seen  the  like  of  it  since  I  left  Cambridge. 
He  looks  on  the  missionaries  at  Serampore  as  so  many 
degrees  below  him  in  intellect,  that  he  says  he  could  write 
so  deeply  on  a  text,  that  not  one  of  them  would  be  able  to 
follow  him.  So  I  have  challenged  him  in  their  name,  and 
to-day  he  has  brought  me  the  first  half  of  his  essay  or 
sermon  on  a  text  :  with  some  ingenuity,  it  has  the  most 
idle  display  of  school-boy  pedantic  logic  you  ever  saw.  I 
shall  translate  it  from  the  Persian,  in  order  to  assist  him  to 
rectify  his  errors.  He  is  certainly  learned  in  the  learning 
of  the  Arabs,  and  how  he  has  acquired  so  much  in  a  life  so 
active  is  strange,  but  I  wish  it  could  be  made  to  sit  a  little 
easier  on  him.  I  look  forward  to  St.  Paul's  Epistles,  in 
hopes  some  good  will  come  to  him  from  them.  It  is  a 
very  happy  circumstance  that  he  did  not  go  to  preach  at 
his  first  conversion  ;  he  would  have  entangled  himself  in 
metaphysical  subjects  out  of  his  depth,  and  probably  made 
shipwreck  of  his  own  faith.  I  have,  I  think,  led  him  to 
see  that  it  is  dangerous  and  foolish  to  attempt  to  prove  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity  by  reason,  as  he  said  at  first  he  was 
perfectly  able  to  do. 


230  HENRY  MARTYN 

January  30. — Sabat  to-day  finishes  St.  Matthew,  and 
will  write  to  you  on  the  occasion.  Your  letter  to  him  was 
very  kind  and  suitable,  but  I  think  you  must  not  mention 
his  logic  to  him,  except  with  contempt ;  for  he  takes  what 
you  say  on  that  head  as  homage  due  to  his  acquirements, 
and  praise  to  him  is  brandy  to  a  man  in  a  high  fever.  He 
loves  as  a  Christian  brother  ;  but  as  a  logician  he  holds  us 
all  in  supreme  contempt.  He  assumes  all  the  province  of 
reasoning  as  his  own  by  right,  and  decides  every  question 
magisterially.  He  allows  Europeans  to  know  a  little 
about  Arithmetic  and  Navigation,  but  nothing  more. 
Dear  man  !  I  smile  to  observe  his  pedantry.  Never  have 
I  seen  such  an  instance  of  dogmatical  pride  since  I  heard 
Dr.  Parr  preach  his  Greek  Sermon  at  St.  Mary's,  about 
the  TO  ovs 

March  7. — Mirza  is  gone  to  the  Mohurrum  to-day  :  he 
discovers  no  signs  of  approach  to  the  truth.  Sabat  creates 
himself  enemies  in  every  quarter  by  his  jealous  and 
passionate  spirit,  particularly  among  the  servants.  At  his 
request  I  have  sent  away  my  tailor  and  bearers,  and  he 
is  endeavouring  to  get  my  other  servants  turned  away  ; 
because  without  any  proof  he  suspects  them  of  having 
persuaded  the  bearers  not  to  come  into  his  service.  He 
can  now  get  no  bearers  nor  tailor  to  serve  him.  One  day 
this  week  he  came  to  me,  and  said  that  he  meant  to  write 
to  Mr.  Brown  to  remove  him  from  this  place,  for  every- 
thing went  wrong — the  people  were  all  wicked,  etc.  The 
immediate  cause  of  this  vexation  was  that  some  boxes, 
which  he  had  been  making  at  the  expense  of  150  rupees, 
all  cracked  at  the  coming  on  of  the  hot  weather.  I  con- 
cealed my  displeasure  at  his  childish  fickleness  of  temper, 
and  discovered  no  anxiety  to  retain  him,  but  quietly  told 
him  of  some  of  the  consequences  of  removing,  so  it  is  gone 
out  of  his  mind.  But  Mirza  happened  to  hear  all  Sabat's 
querulous  harangue,  and,  in  order  to  vex  and  disgust  him 
effectually,  rode  almost  into  his  house,  and  came  in  with 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,   1807- 1809  231 

his  shoes.  This  irritated  the  Arab ;  but  Mirza's  purpose 
was  not  answered.  Mirza  began  next  day  to  tell  a  parcel 
of  lies  about  Sabat,  and  to  bring  proofs  of  his  own  learning. 
The  manifest  tendency  of  all  this  was  to  make  a  division 
between  Sabat  and  me,  and  to  obtain  his  salary  and  work 
for  himself.  Oh,  the  hypocrisy  and  wickedness  of  an 
Indian  !  I  never  saw  a  more  remarkable  contrast  in  two 
men  than  in  Mirza  and  Sabat.  One  is  all  exterior — the 
other  has  no  outside  at  all  ;  one  a  most  consummate  man 
of  the  world — the  other  an  artless  child  of  the  desert. 

March  28. — Sabat  has  been  tolerably  quiet  this  week  ; 
but  think  of  the  keeper  of  a  lunatic,  and  you  see  me.  A 
war  of  words  broke  out  the  beginning  of  last  week,  but  it 
ended  in  an  honourable  peace.  After  he  got  home  at  night 
he  sent  a  letter,  complaining  of  a  high  crime  and  mis- 
demeanour in  some  servant ;  I  sent  him  a  soothing  letter, 
and  the  wild  beast  fell  asleep.  In  all  these  altercations  we 
take  occasion  to  consider  the  extent  of  Christian  forbear- 
ance, as  necessary  to  be  exercised  in  all  the  smaller 
occasions  of  life,  as  well  as  when  persecution  comes  for 
religion.  This  he  has  not  been  hitherto  aware  of  One 
night  in  prayer  I  forgot  to  mention  Mr.  Brown  ;  so,  after  I 
had  done,  he  continued  on  his  knees  and  went  on  and 
prayed  in  Persian  for  him.     I  was  much  pleased  at  this. 

Did  you  read  Lord  Minto's  speech,  and  his  commenda- 
tion of  those  learjied  and  pious  men,  the  missionaries  ?  I 
have  looked  upon  him  ever  since  as  a  nursing-father  to  the 
Church. 

April  1 1. — It  is  surprising  that  a  man  can  be  so  blinded 
by  vanity  as  to  suppose,  as  Sabat  does,  that  he  is  superior  to 
Mirza  in  Hindustani ;  yet  this  he  does,  and  maintains  it 
stoutly.  I  am  tired  of  combating  this  opinion,  as  nothing 
comes  of  our  arguments  but  strifes.  Another  of  his  odd 
opinions  is,  that  he  is  so  under  the  immediate  influence 
and  direction  of  the  Spirit,  that  there  will  not  be  one  single 
error  in  his  whole  Persian  translation.    You  perceive  a  little 


232  HENRY  MARTYN 

enthusiasm  in  the  character  of  our  brother.  As  often  as 
he  finds  himself  in  any  difficulty,  he  expects  a  dream  to  set 
him  right. 

April  26. — These  Orientals  with  whom  I  translate  re- 
quire me  to  point  out  the  connection  between  every  two 
sentences,  which  is  often  more  than  I  can  do.  It  is 
curious  how  accurately  they  observe  all  the  rules  of  writing, 
and  yet  generally  write  badly.  I  can  only  account  for  it 
by  supposing  that  they  have  been  writing  too  long.  From 
time  immemorial  they  have  been  authors,  without  pro- 
gressive knowledge  ;  and  so  to  produce  variety  they  supply 
their  lack  of  knowledge  by  overstraining  their  imagination  ; 
hence  their  extravagant  metaphors  and  affected  way  of 
expressing  the  commonest  things.  Sabat,  though  a  real 
Christian,  has  not  lost  a  jot  of  his  Arabian  pride.  He  looks 
upon  the  Europeans  as  mushrooms,  and  seems  to  regard 
my  pretensions  to  any  learning  as  we  do  those  of  a  savage 
or  an  ape. 

May  31. — Some  days  Sabat  overworked  himself  and 
was  laid  up.  He  does  his  utmost.  He  is  increasingly 
dear  to  me,  as  I  see  more  of  the  meekness  and  gentleness 
of  Christ  in  him.  Our  conflicts  I  hope  are  over,  and  we 
shall  draw  very  quietly  together  side  by  side. 

In  all  this,  and  much  more  that  followed,  or  is  un- 
recorded, Henry  Martyn  was  being  prepared  unconsciously 
for  his  formal  and  unanswered  controversies  with  the 
learned  Mussulmans  of  Persia.  His  letters  to  Corrie  tell 
of  his  farther  experience  with  his  moonshis  and  the 
moulvies  of  Patna,  and  describe  the  true  spirit  of  such 
'  disputings '  for  the  truth. 

i^oy,  April  28. — Of  what  importance  is  our  walk  in 
reference  to  our  ministry,  and  particularly  among  the 
natives.  For  myself,  I  never  enter  into  a  dispute  with 
them  without  having  reason  to  reflect  that  I  mar  the  work 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,   1807-1809  233 

for  which  I  contend  by  the  spirit  in  which  I  do  it.     During  ^ 
my   absence   at    Monghyr   moonshi    went   to   a   learned 
native  for  assistance  against  an  answer  I  had  given  him  to 
their  main  argument  for  the  Koran,  and  he  not  being  able 
to  render  it,  they  mean  to  have  down  their  leading  man 
from  Benares  to  convince  me  of  the  truth  of  their  religion. 
I  wish  a  spirit  of  inquiry  may  be  excited,  but  I  lay  not  \ 
much  stress  upon  clear  arguments ;  the  work  of  God  is/  ^ 
seldom  wrought  in  this  way.     To  preach  the  Gospel,  witn\ 
the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  is  a  better  way  to) 
win  souls. 

May  4. — I  am  preparing  for  the  assault  of  this  great 
Mohammedan  Imaum.  I  have  read  the  Koran  and  notes 
twice  for  this  purpose,  and  even  filled  whole  sheets  with 
objections,  remarks,  questions,  etc. ;  but,  alas  I  what  little 
hopes  have  I  of  doing  him  or  any  of  them  good  in  this  way  ! 
Moonshi  is  in  general  mute. 

October  28. — At  night,  in  a  conversation  with  Mirza 
accidentally  begun,  I  spoke  to  him  for  more  than  three 
hours  on  Christianity  and  Mohammedanism.  He  said 
there  was  no  passage  in  the  Gospel  that  said  no  prophet 
shall  come  after  Christ.  I  showed  him  the  last  verse  in 
Matthew,  the  passages  in  Isaiah  and  Daniel,  on  the  eternity 
of  Christ's  kingdom,  and  proved  it  from  the  nature  of  the 
way  of  salvation  in  the  Gospel.  I  then  told  him  my  objec^ 
tions  against  Mohammedanism,  its  laws,  its  defects,  its 
unnecessariness,  the  unsuitableness  of  its  rewards,  and  its 
utter  want  of  support  by  proof.  When  he  began  to 
mention  Mahomet's  miracles,  I  showed  him  the  passages 
in  the  6th  and  13th  chapters  of  the  Koran,  where  he 
disavows  the  power.  Nothing  surprised  him  so  much  as 
these  passages  ;  he  is,  poor  man,  totally  indifferent  about 
all  religion  ;  he  told  me  that  I  had  produced  great  doubt 
in  his  mind,  and  that  he  had  no  answer  to  give. 

November  21. — My  mind  violently  occupied  with 
thoughts  respecting  the  approaching  spread  of  the  Gospel, 


t^ 


234 


HENRY  MARTVN 


and  my  own  going  to  Persia.  Sabat's  conversation  stirs 
up  a  great  desire  in  me  to  go  ;  as  by  his  account  all  the 
Mahometan  countries  are  ripe  for  throwing  off  the  delusion. 
The  gracious  Lord  will  teach  me,  and  make  my  way  plain 
before  my  face.  Oh,  may  He  keep  my  soul  in  peace,  and 
make  it  indifferent  to  me  whether  I  die  or  live,  so  Christ 
be  magnified  by  me.  I  have  need  to  receive  this  spirit 
from  Him,  for  I  feel  at  present  unwilling  to  die,  as  if  my 
own  life  and  labours  were  necessary  for  this  work,  or  as  it 
I  should  be  deprived  of  the  bliss  of  seeing  the  conversion 
of  the  nations.  Vain  thought !  God,  who  keeps  me  here 
awhile,  arranges  every  part  of  His  plans  in  unerring  wis- 
dom, and  if  I  should  be  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  my  plans,  I 
shall  still,  I  trust,  through  mercy,  behold  His  works  in 
heaven,  and  be  everlastingly  happy  in  the  never-ceasing 
admiration  of  His  works  and  nature.  Every  day  the  dis- 
putes with  Mirza  and  Moorad  AH  become  more  interesting. 
Their  doubts  of  Mahometanism  seem  to  have  amounted 
almost  to  disbelief.  Moorad  Ali  confessed  that  they  all 
received  their  religion,  not  on  conviction,  but  because  it 
was  the  way  of  their  fathers  ;  and  he  said  with  great 
earnestness,  that  if  some  great  Sheikh-ooMslam,  whom  he 
mentioned,  could  not  give  an  answer,  and  a  satisfactory, 
rational  evidence,  of  the  truth  of  Islamism,  he  would 
renounce  it  and  be  baptized.  Mirza  seemed  still  more 
anxious  and  interested,  and  speaks  of  it  to  me  and  Sabat 
continually.  In  translating  i  Timothy  i.  15,  I  said  to 
them,  '  You  have  in  that  verse  heard  the  Gospel ;  your  blood 
will  not  be  required  at  my  hands ;  you  will  certainly 
remember  these  words  at  the  last  day.'  This  led  to  a  long 
discussion,  at  the  close  of  which,  when  I  said  that,  notwith- 
standing their  endeavours  to  identify  the  two  religions,  there 
is  still  so  much  difference  '  that  if  our  word  is  true  you  are 
lost,'  they  looked  at  each  other  almost  with  consternation,  and 
said,  '  It  is  true.'  Still  the  Trinity  and  the  incarnation  cf 
Christ  afford  a  plea  to  the  one,  and  a  difficulty  to  the  other. 


DIN AP ORE  AND  PATNA,    1807- 1809  235 

At  another  time,  when  I  had,  from  some  passage, 
hinted  to  Mirza  his  danger,  he  said  with  great  earnestness, 
'  Sir,  why  won't  you  try  to  save  me  ?  '  *  Save  you  ? '  said  I, 
'  I  would  lay  down  my  life  to  save  your  soul  :  what  can  I 
do?'  He  wished  me  to  go  to  Phoolwari,  the  Mussulman 
college,  and  there  examine  the  subject  with  the  most 
learned  of  their  doctors.  I  told  him  I  had  no  objection 
to  go  to  Phoolwari,  but  why  could  not  he  as  well  in- 
quire for  himself  whether  there  were  any  evidence  for 
Mohammedanism  ? 

iSo8,/une  14. — Called  on  Bahir  Ali  Khan,  Dare,  and 
the  Italian  padre  ;  with  Bahir  Ali  I  stayed  two  hours,  con- 
versing in  Persian.  He  began  our  theological  discussion 
with  a  question  to  me, '  How  do  you  reconcile  God's  absolute 
power  and  man's  free  will  ? '  I  pleaded  ignorance  and  in- 
ability, but  he  replied  to  his  own  question  very  fully,  and 
his  conclusion  seemed  to  be  that  God  had  created  evil 
things  for  the  trial  of  His  creatures.  His  whole  manner, 
look,  authority,  and  copiousness  constantly  reminded  me 
of  the  Dean  of  Carlisle.*  I  asked  him  for  the  proofs  of 
the  religion  of  Mahomet.  The  first  he  urged  was  the 
eloquence  of  the  Koran,  After  a  long  time  he  conceded 
that  it  was,  of  itself,  an  insufficient  argument.  I  then 
brought  forward  a  passage  of  the  Koran  containing  a  sen- 
timent manifestly  false  ;  on  which  he  floundered  a  good 
deal  ;  but  concluded  with  saying  that  I  must  wait  till  I 
knew  more  of  logic  and  Persian  before  he  could  explain 
it  to  me  satisfactorily.  On  the  whole,  I  was  exceedingly 
pleased  with  his  candour,  politeness,  and  good  sense.  He 
said  he  had  nothing  to  lose  by  becoming  a  Christian,  and 
that,  if  he  were  once  persuaded  of  the  truth,  he  would 
change  without  hesitation.  He  showed  me  an  Arabic 
translation  of  Euclid. 

June    15. — Read    an    account   of   Turkey.      The    bad 

'  Rev.  Dr.  Milner. 


236  HENRY  MARTYN 

effects  of  the  book  were  so  great  that  I  found  instant  need 
of  prayer,  and  I  do  not  know  when  I  have  had  such  divine 
and  animating  feehngs.  Oh,  it  is  Thy  Spirit  that  makes 
me  pant  for  the  skies.  It  is  He  that  shall  make  me  trample 
the  world  and  my  lusts  beneath  my  feet,  and  urge  my  on- 
ward course  towards  the  crown  of  life. 

December  5. — Went  to  Patna  to  Sabat,  and  saw  several 
Persians  and  Arabians.  I  found  that  the  intended  dispute 
had  come  to  nothing,  for  that  All  had  told  Sabat  he  had 
been  advised  by  his  father  not  to  dispute  with  him.  They 
behaved  with  the  utmost  incivility  to  him,  not  giving  him 
a  place  to  sit  down,  and  desiring  him  at  last  to  go.  Sabat 
rose,  and  shook  his  garment  against  them,  and  said,  '  If  you 
know  Mohammedanism  to  be  right,  and  will  not  try  to  con- 
vince me,  you  will  have  to  answer  for  it  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. I  have  explained  to  you  the  Gospel ;  I  am  therefore 
pure  from  your  blood.'  He  came  home  and  wrote  some 
poetry  on  the  Trinity,  and  the  Apostles,  which  he  recited 
to  me.  We  called  on  Mizra  Mehdi,  a  jeweller,  who  showed 
us  some  diamonds,  emeralds,  and  rubies.  With  an  old 
Arabian  there  I  tried  to  converse  in  Arabic.  He  under- 
stood my  Arabic,  but  I  could  not  understand  his.  They 
were  all  full  of  my  praise,  but  then  the  pity  was  that  I  was 
a  Christian.  I  challenged  them  to  show  what  there  was 
wrong  in  being  a  Nazarene,  but  they  declined.  After- 
wards we  called  on  the  nabob  Moozuffur  Ali  Khan.  The 
house  Sabat  lived  in  was  properly  an  Oriental  one  ;  and,  as 
he  said,  like  those  in  Syria.  It  reminded  me  often  of  the 
Apostles,  and  the  recollection  was  often  solemnising. 

December  6  to  8. — Betrayed  more  than  once  into  evil 
temper,  which  left  dreadful  remorse  of  conscience  ;  I  cried 
unto  God  in  secret,  but  the  sense  of  my  sinfulness  was  over- 
whelming. It  had  a  humbling  effect,  however.  In  prayer 
with  my  men  I  was  led  more  unfeignedly  to  humble 
myself  even  to  the  dust,  and  after  that  I  enjoyed,  through 
the  sovereign  mercy  of  God,  much  peace,  and  a  sense  of  His 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807  1809  237 

presence.  Languid  in  my  studies  ;  indisposition  causing 
sleepiness.  Reading  chiefly  Persian  and  a  little  Greek  : 
Hanway,  Waring,  and  Franklin's  Travels  into  Persia. 
Haji  Khan,  a  sensible  old  man  from  Patna,  called  two 
days  following,  and  sat  a  long  time  conversing  upon 
religion. 

To  Mrs.  Dare,  Gaya 

Dinapore  :  May  19,  1808. 

Dear  Mrs.  Dare,^ — Your  letter  arrived  just  in  time  to  save 
you  from  some  severe  animadversions  that  were  preparing 
for  you.  I  intended  to  have  sent  by  your  young  friend 
some  remarks,  direct  and  oblique,  on  the  variableness  of 
the  sex,  the  facility  with  which  promises  are  made  and 
broken,  the  pleasures  of  indolence,  and  other  topics  of  the 
like  nature, — but  your  kind  epistle  disarms  me.  Soon  after 
you  left  us,  the  heat  increased  to  a  degree  I  had  never 
before  felt,  and  made  me  often  think  of  you  with  concern. 
I  used  to  say  to  Colonel  Bradshaw,  '  I  wonder  how  Mrs. 
Dare  likes  Gya,  and  its  burning  hills — I  dare  say  she 
would  be  glad  to  be  back  again.'  Well,  I  should  be 
glad  if  we  had  you  here  again.  I  want  female  society, 
and  among  the  ladies  of  Dinapore  there  is  none  with  whom 
I  have  a  chance  of  obtaining  a  patient  hearing  when 
speaking  to  them  on  the  subject  of  their  most  important 
interest.  This,  you  know,  is  the  state  of  all  but  Mrs. 
Stuart,  and  it  is  a  state  of  danger  and  death.  Follow  them 
no  more,  my  dear  friend  :  but  now,  in  the  solitude  of  Gya, 
learn  those  lessons  of  heavenly  wisdom,  that,  when  you  are 
brought  again  into  a  larger  society,  you  may  not  yield  to 
the  impulse  of  doing  as  others  do,  but,  by  a  life  of  true 
seriousness,  put  them  to  shame. 

I  go  on  much  as  usual,  occupied  all  day,  and  laying  a 

'  The  names  of  Capt.  Dare  and  Mrs.  Dare  occur  in  the  Journals  and 
Letters  heiv^ttn  February  17  and  March  24,  1808,  wucrein  Martyn's  relations 
with  them  are  described  just  as  in  this  set  of  letters. 


238  HENRY  MARTVN 

weary  head  on  the  pillow  at  night.  My  health,  which 
you  inquire  after  so  kindly,  is  on  the  whole  good  ;  but 
I  am  daily  reminded  that  it  is  a  fragile  frame  I  carry 
about. 

August  23. — I  rejoice  to  find  by  your  letter  that  you 
are  contented  with  your  lot.  Before  the  time  of  Horace, 
and  since  too,  contentment  has  been  observed  to  be  a  very 
rare  thing  on  earth,  and  I  know  not  how  it  is  to  be  obtained 
but  by  learning  in  the  school  of  the  Gospel.  '  I  have  learned* 
said  even  St.  Paul,  '  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  therewith  to 
be  content.'  To  be  a  little  slanderous  for  once,  I  suspect 
Colonel  Bradshaw,  our  common  friend,  who  will  send  you 
a  letter  by  the  same  sepoy,  must  have  a  lecture  or  two 
more  read  to  him  in  this  science,  as  he  is  far  from  being 
perfect  in  it.  He  has,  you  know,  all  that  heart  can  wish 
of  this  world's  goods,  and  yet  he  is  restless  ;  sometimes  the 
society  is  dull ;  at  other  times  the  blame  is  laid  on  the 
quarters,  and  he  must  go  out  of  cantonments.  To-day  he 
is  going  to  Gya,  to-morrow  on  the  river.  Now,  I  tell  him 
that  he  need  not  change  his  place,  but  his  heart.  Let  him 
seek  his  happiness  in  God,  and  he  will  carry  about  a  para- 
dise in  his  own  bosom.  Tlie  zvildeniess  aftd  the  solitary 
place  shall  be  glad  for  him,  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and 
blossom  as  the  rose. 

September  23. — My  dear  Mrs.  Dare,  attend  to  the  call 
of  God ;  He  never  speaks  more  to  the  heart  than  by 
affliction.  Such  a  season  as  this,  so  favourable  to  the 
commencement  of  true  piety,  may  never  again  occur. 
Hereafter  time  may  have  riveted  worldly  habits  on  you, 
and  age  rendered  the  heart  insensible.  Begin  now  to  be 
melancholy  ?  No — to  be  seriously  happy,  to  be  purely 
happy,  everlastingly  happy. 

Ever,  through  the  solitude,  the  suffering,  and  the  toiling 
of  the  first  twelve  months  at  Dinapore,  the  thought  of 
Lydia  Grenfell,  the  hope  of  her  union  to  him,  and  her  help 


DINAPORE  AND  FATAA,    1807-1809  239 

in  his  agonising  for  India,  runs  like  a  chord  of  sad  music. 
He  thus  writes  to  his  cousin,  her  sister  : 

Indeed,  all  my  Europe  letters  this  season  have 
brought  me  such  painful  news  that  I  almost  dread  receiving 
another.  Such  is  the  vanity  of  our  expectations.  I  had 
been  looking  out  with  more  than  ordinary  anxiety  for 
these  letters,  thinking  they  would  give  me  some  account 
of  Lydia's  coming — whereas  yours  and  hers  have  only 
wounded  me,  and  my  sister's,'  giving  me  the  distressing 
tidings  of  her  ill-health,  makes  my  heart  bleed.  Oh,  it  is 
now  that  I  feel  the  agony  of  having  half  the  globe  inter- 
vening between  us.  Could  I  but  be  with  her  :  yet  God 
who  heareth  prayer  will  surely  supply  my  place.  From 
Sally  I  expect  neither  promptness  nor  the  ability  to  console 
her  sister.  This  is  the  first  time  Sally  has  taken  up  her 
pen  to  write  to  me,  and  thought  an  apology  necessary  for 
her  neglect.  Perhaps  she  has  been  wrapt  up  in  her  dear 
husband,  or  her  dearer  self  I  feel  very  angry  with  her. 
But  my  dear  faithful  Lydia  has  more  than  compen- 
sated for  all  the  neglect  of  my  own  relations.  I  believe 
she  has  sent  me  more  than  all  the  rest  in  England  put 
together.  If  I  had  not  loved  her  before,  her  affectionate 
and  constant  remembrance  of  me  would  win  my  heart. 

You  mention  the  name  of  your  last  little  one  (may  she 
be  a  follow  er  of  her  namesake  !).  It  reminds  me  of  what 
Mr.  Brown  has  lately  written  to  me.  He  says  that  Mrs. 
B.  had  determined  her  expected  one  should  be  called  after 
me :  but,  as  it  proved  to  be  a  girl,  it  was  called  Lydia 
Martyn  Broivn,  a  combination  that  suggests  many  re- 
flections to  my  mind. 

And  now  I  ought  to  begin  to  write  about  myself  and 
India :  but  I  fear  you  are  not  so  interested  about  me  as 
you  used  to  be  :  yet  the  Church  of  God,  I  know,  is  dear  to 
you  always  !     Let  me  speak  of  the  ministers.     The  Gospel 

•  Mrs.  Laura  Curgenven  :  born  January  1779,  died  in  the  year  1807. 


240 


HENRY  MARTYN 


was  preached  before  the  Governor-General  by  seven  different 
evangelical  chaplains  in  the  course  of  six  months.  Of 
these  five  have  associated,  agreeing  to  communicate  with 
each  other  quarterly  reports  of  their  proceedings.  They 
are  Mr.  Brown  at  Calcutta,  Thompson  at  Cuddalore, 
Parson  at  Berhampore,  Corrie  at  Chunar,  and  myself  here. 
Corrie  and  myself,  as  being  most  similarly  employed, 
correspond  every  week.  He  gives  all  his  attention  to  the 
languages,  and  has  his  heart  wholly  towards  the  heathen. 
He  has  set  on  foot  four  schools  in  his  neighbourhood,  and 
I  four  here  along  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  containing  120 
boy.«! :  he  has  nearly  the  same  number.  The  masters  are 
heathens — but  they  have  consented  with  some  reluctance 
to  admit  the  Christian  books.  The  little  book  on  the 
Parables  in  the  dialect  of  Bihar,  which  I  had  prepared  for 
them,  is  now  in  the  press  at  Serampore  ;  for  the  present, 
they  read  with  their  own  books  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.  We  hope  by  the  help  of  God  to  enlarge  the  plan 
of  the  schools  very  considerably,  as  soon  as  we  have  felt 
the  ground,  and  can  advance  boldly. 

Respecting  my  own  immediate  plans,  I  am  rather  in 
the  dark.  They  wish  to  engage  me  as  a  translator  of  the 
Scriptures  into  Hindustani  and  Persian,  by  the  help  of 
some  learned  natives  ;  and  if  this  plan  is  settled  at  Calcutta, 
I  shall  engage  in  it  without  hesitation,  as  conceiving  it  to 
be  the  most  useful  way  in  which  I  can  be  employed  at 
present  in  the  Church  of  God.  If  not,  I  hope  to  begin  to 
itinerate  as  soon  as  the  rains  are  over  ;  not  that  I  can  hope 
to  be  easily  understood  yet,  but  by  mixing  familiarly  with 
the  natives  I  should  soon  learn.  Little  permanent  good, 
however,  can  be  done  till  some  of  the  Scriptures  can  be  put 
into  their  hands.  On  this  account  I  wish  to  help  forward 
this  work  as  quick  as  possible,  because  a  chapter  will  speak 
plainly  in  a  thousand  places  at  once,  while  I  can  speak, 
and  not  very  plainly,  but  in  one.  One  advantage  attending 
the  delay  of  public  preaching  will  be  that  the  schools  will 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,  1807-1809  241 

have  a  fair  run,  for  the  commencement  of  preaching  will  be 
the  downfall  of  the  schools.  I  have  my  tent  ready,  and 
would  set  out  with  pleasure  to-morrow  if  the  time  for  this 
work  were  come.  As  there  is  public  service  here  every 
Lord's  Day,  three  days'  journey  is  the  longest  I  can  take. 
This  may  hereafter  prove  an  inconvenience :  but  the  ad- 
vantages of  being  a  Company's  servant  are  incalculable. 
A  missionary  not  in  the  service  is  liable  to  be  stopped  by 
every  subaltern  ;  but  there  is  no  man  that  can  touch  me. 
Amongst  the  Europeans  at  this  station  I  am  not  without 
encouragement/  Eight  or  ten,  chiefly  corporals  or  sergeants, 
come  to  my  quarters  Sunday  and  Wednesday  nights  for 
social  worship  :  but  it  does  not  appear  that  more  than  one 
are  truly  converted.  The  commanding  officer  of  the  native 
battalion  and  his  lady,  whom  I  mentioned  in  my  last,  are, 
I  think,  increasingly  serious — but  the  fear  of  man  is  their 
snare.  Mrs.  Young  says  that,  with  Lydia  to  support  her, 
she  could  face  the  frown  of  the  world.  I  had  been  looking 
forward  with  pleasure  to  the  time  when  she  would  hdiwe  such 
support,  and  rejoiced  that  Lydia  would  have  so  sensible 
and  hopeful  a  companion. 

Dinapore :  December,  1807. 
My  dear  Cousin, — Your  letter,  after  so  long  a  silence, 
was  a  great  relief  to  me,  as  it  assured  me  of  your  un- 
diminished affection  ;  but  I  regretted  you  had  been  so 
sparing  in  your  consolations  on  the  subject  of  my  late 
disappointment.  Remember,  it  was  to  you  I  used  to 
unbosom  all  my  anxieties,  and  I  still  look  to  you  for  that 
sympathising  tenderness  which  no  other  person  perhaps 
feels  for  me,  or  at  least  can  venture  to  express.  How 
every  particular  of  our  conversation  in  the  journey  from 
Redruth  to  Plymouth  Dock  returns  to  my  mind  !  I  have 
reason  indeed  to  remember  it — from  that  time  I  date  my 
sorrows — we  talked  too  much  about  Lydia.  Her  last 
letter  was  to  bid  me  a  final  farewell,  so  I  must  not  write 

R 


242  HENRY  MARTYN 

to  her  without  her  permission  ;  she  wished  she  might  hear 
by  you  that  I  was  happy.  I  am  therefore  obliged  to  say 
that  God  has,  according  to  her  prayer,  kept  me  in  peace, 
and  indeed  strengthened  me  unto  all  patience  and  long- 
suffering  with  joyfulness.  At  first,  like  Jonah,  I  was  more 
grieved  at  the  loss  of  my  gourd  than  at  the  sight  of  the 
many  perishing  Ninevehs  all  round  me ;  but  now  my 
earthly  woes  and  earthly  attachments  seem  to  be  absorbing 
in  the  vast  concern  of  communicating  the  Gospel  to  these 
nations.  After  this  last  lesson  from  God  on  the  vanity  of 
creature  love,  I  feel  desirous  to  be  nothing,  to  have  nothing, 
to  ask  for  nothing,  but  what  He  gives.  So  remarkably  and 
so  repeatedly  has  He  baffled  my  schemes  of  earthly 
comfort  that  I  am  forced  at  last  to  believe  His  de- 
termination to  be,  that  I  should  live  in  every  sense  a 
stranger  and  pilgrim  on  the  earth.  Lydia  allows  me  not 
the  most  distant  prospect  of  ever  seeing  her  ;  and  if  indeed 
the  supposed  indelicacy  of  her  coming  out  to  me  is  an 
obstacle  that  cannot  be  got  over,  it  is  likely  indeed  to  be  a 
lasting  separation  :  for  when  shall  I  ever  see  it  lawful  to 
leave  my  work  here  for  three  years,  when  every  hour  is 
unspeakably  precious  .-'  I  am  beginning  therefore  to  form 
my  plans  as  a  person  in  a  state  of  celibacy,  and  mean  to 
trouble  you  no  more  on  what  I  have  been  lately  writing 
about  so  much.  However,  let  me  be  allowed  to  make  one 
request ;  it  is  that  Lydia  would  at  least  consider  me  as  she 
did  before,  and  write  as  at  that  time.  Perhaps  there  may 
be  some  objection  to  this  request,  and  therefore  I  dare  not 
urge  it.  I  say  only  that  by  experience  I  know  it  will 
prove  an  inestimable  blessing  and  comfort  to  me.  If  you 
really  wish  to  have  a  detailed  account  of  my  proceedings, 
exert  your  influence  in  effecting  this  measure  ;  for  you 
may  be  sure  that  I  shall  be  disposed  to  write  to  her  letters 
long  enough,  longer  than  to  any  other,  for  this  reason 
among  others,  that  of  the  three  in  the  world  who  have 
most  love  for  me,  i.e  Sally,  Lydia,  and  yourself,  I  believe 


DIN  A  PORE  AND  PATNA,    1807- 1809  243 

that,  notwithstanding  all  that  has  happened,  the  middle 
one  loves  most  truly.  If  this  conjecture  of  mine  is  well- 
founded,  she  will  be  most  interested  in  what  befalls  me, 
and  I  shall  write  in  less  fear  of  tiring.  My  bodily  health, 
which  you  require  me  always  to  mention,  is  prodigious,  my 
strength  and  spirits  are  in  general  greater  than  ever  they 
were,  and  this  under  God  I  ascribe  to  the  susceptibility  of 
my  frame,  giving  me  instant  warning  of  anything  that  may 
disorder  it.  Half-an-hour's  exposure  to  the  sun  produces 
an  immediate  overflow  of  bile:  therefore  I  take  care  never 
to  let  the  sun's  rays  fall  upon  my  body.  Vexation  or 
anxiety  has  the  same  effect.  For  this,  faith  and  prayer 
for  the  peace  of  God  are  the  best  remedy. 

Since  my  last  letter,  written  a  few  months  ago  in  reply 
to  Cousin  T.,  I  do  not  recollect  that  anything  has  happened. 
Dr.  Buchanan's  last  publication  on  the  Christian  Institution 
will  give  you  the  most  full  and  interesting  accounts  of  the 
affairs  of  our  Lord's  kingdom  in  India.  The  press  seems 
to  us  all  to  be  the  great  instrument  at  present.  Preaching 
by  the  European  Mission  here  has  in  no  instance  that  I 
know  of  been  successful.  Everything  in  our  manner, 
pronunciation,  and  doctrine  is  so  new  and  strange,  that  to 
instruct  them  properly  viva  voce  seems  to  be  giving  more 
time  to  a  small  body  of  them  than  can  be  conveniently 
spared  from  the  great  mass.  Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  I  feel 
reason  to  be  guarded  against  the  love  of  carnal  ease,  which 
would  make  me  prefer  the  literary  work  of  translating  to 
that  of  an  itinerant :  upon  the  whole,  however,  I  acquiesce 
in  the  work  that  Dr.  B.  has  assigned  me,  from  conviction. 
Through  the  blessing  of  God  I  have  finished  the  New 
Testament  in  the  Pcrso-Arabic-Hindustani,  but  it  must 
undergo  strict  revisal  before  it  can  be  sent  to  the  press. 
My  assistants  in  this  work  were  Mirza  Mahommed  Ali 
and  Moorad  Ali,  two  Mahometans,  and  I  sometimes  hope 
there  are  convictions  in  their  minds  which  they  will  not 
be  able  to  shake  off.     They  have  not   much  doubt  of  the 


244  HENRY  MARTYN 

falsehood  of  Mahometanism,  and  the  truth  of  the  Gospel, 
but  they  cannot  take  up  the  cross. 

The  arrival  of  Jawad  Sabat,  our  Arabian  brother,  at 
Dinapore,  had  a  great  effect  upon  them.  .  .  .  He  is  now 
employed  in  translating  the  New  Testament  into  Persian 
and  Arabic,  and  great  will  be  the  benefit  to  his  own  soul, 
that  he  is  called  to  study  the  Word  of  God  :  the  Bible 
Society  at  home  will,  I  hope,  bear  the  expense  of  printing 
it.  This  work,  whenever  it  is  done  properly,  will  be  the 
downfall  of  Mahometanism.  What  do  I  not  owe  to  the 
Lord  for  giving  me  to  take  part  in  a  translation  ?  Never 
did  I  see  such  wonders  of  wisdom  and  love  in  the  blessed 
book,  as  since  I  have  been  obliged  to  study  every  ex- 
pression ;  and  it  is  often  a  delightful  reflection,  that  even 
death  cannot  deprive  us  of  the  privilege  of  studying  its 
mysteries.  ...  I  forgot  to  mention  Lydia's  profile,  which 
I  received.  I  have  now  to  request  her  miniature  picture, 
and  you  must  draw  on  Mr.  Simeon,  my  banker,  for  the 
expense.  ...  1  need  not  assure  you  and  Cousin  T.  of  my 
unceasing  regard,  nor  Lydia  of  my  unalterable  attachment. 
God  bless  you  all,  my  beloved  friends.  Pray  for  me,  as  I 
do  also  for  you.     Our  separation  will  soon  be  over. 

July  3.  —  Received  two  Europe  letters  —  one  from 
Lydia,  and  the  other  from  Colonel  Sandys.  The  tender 
emotions  of  love,  and  gratitude,  and  veneration  for  her, 
were  again  powerfully  awakened  in  my  mind,  so  that  I 
could  with  difficulty  think  of  anything  else  ;  yet  I  found 
myself  drawn  nearer  to  God  by  the  pious  remarks  of  her 
letter.  Nature  would  have  desired  more  testimonies  of 
her  love  to  me,  but  grace  approved  her  ardent  love  to  her 

Lord. 

To  Charles  Simeon  > 

Danapore  {sic)  :  January,  1808. 

My  dearest  Friend  and  Brother, — I  must  begin  my  letter 
with  assurances  of  eternal  regard  ;  eternal  will  it  be  if  I 
'  See  Moule's  Charles  Simeon,  p.  201. 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1 807-1 809  245 

find  grace  to  be  faithful.  .  .  .  My  expectation  of  seeing 
Lydia  here  is  now  at  an  end.  I  cannot  doubt  any  longer 
what  is  the  Divine  will,  and  I  bow  to  it.  Since  I  have 
been  led  to  consider  myself  as  perfectly  disengaged  from 
the  affairs  of  this  life,  my  soul  has  been  filled  with  more 
ardent  desires  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  the  service  of  God  ; 
and  though  in  truth  the  world  has  now  little  to  charm  me, 
I  think  these  desires  do  not  arise  from  a  misanthropic 
disgust  to  it.  ...  I  never  loved,  nor  ever  shall  love,  human 
creature  as  I  love  her. 

Soon  after  David  Brown  of  Calcutta  wrote  to  Charles 
Simeon,  whom  a  rumour  of  Henry  Martyn's  engagement  to 
Miss  Corrie,  his  friend's  sister,  had  reached :  *  How  could  you 
imagine  that  Miss  C.  would  do  as  well  as  Miss  L.  G.  for 
Mr.  Martyn  ?  Dear  Martyn  is  married  already  to  three 
wives,  whom,  I  believe,  he  would  not  forsake  for  all  the 
princesses  in  the  earth — I  mean  his  three  translations  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures.' 

To  Mrs.  Brown  at  Aldeen,  who  was  his  confidante  in 
India,  Martyn  wrote  on  July  21  : 

It  appears  that  the  letter  by  the  overland  despatch  did 
not  reach  Lydia.  Again,  the  Sarah  Christiana  packet, 
which  carried  the  duplicate,  ought  to  have  arrived  long 
before  the  sailing  of  these  last  ships  from  England,  but  I 
see  no  account  of  her.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  I 
shall  have  to  wait  a  considerable  time  longer  in  uncer- 
tainty ;  all  which  is  good,  because  so  hath  the  Lord  ap- 
pointed it. 

July  25. — Hard  at  Arabic  grammar  all  day,  after 
finishing  sermon.  Sat  in  the  evening  a  long  time  at  my 
door,  after  the  great  fatigue  of  the  day,  to  let  my  mind 
relax  itself,  and  found  a  melancholy  pleasure  in  looking 
back  upon  the  time  spent  at   St.   Hilary  and  Marazion. 


246  HENRY  MARTYN 

How  the  days  and  years  are  gone  by,  as  a  tale  that  is 
told! 

At  last  the  blow  had  fallen. 

October  24. — An  unhappy  day  :  received  at  last  a  letter 
from  Lydia,  in  which  she  refuses  to  come  because  her 
mother  will  not  consent  to  it.  Grief  and  disappointment 
threw  my  soul  into  confusion  at  first,  but  gradually  as  my 
disorder  subsided  my  eyes  were  opened,  and  reason 
resumed  its  office.  I  could  not  but  agree  with  her  that  it 
would  not  be  for  the  glory  of  God,  nor  could  we  expect 
His  blessing,  if  she  acted  in  disobedience  to  her  mother. 
As  she  has  said,  '  They  that  walk  in  crooked  paths  shall 
not  find  peace  ; '  and  if  she  were  to  come  with  an  uneasy 
conscience,  what  happiness  could  we  either  of  us  expect  ? 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Dinapore  :  October  24,  1807. 

My  dear  Lydia, — Though  my  heart  is  bursting  with 
grief  and  disappointment,  I  write  not  to  blame  you.  The 
rectitude  of  all  your  conduct  secures  you  from  censure. 
Permit  me  calmly  to  reply  to  your  letter  of  March  5,  which 
I  have  this  day  received. 

You  condemn  yourself  for  having  given  me,  though 
unintentionally,  encouragement  to  believe  that  my  attach- 
ment was  returned.  Perhaps  you  have.  I  have  read  your 
former  letters  with  feelings  less  sanguine  since  the  receipt 
of  the  last,  and  I  am  still  not  surprised  at  the  interpretation 
I  put  upon  them.  But  whj-  accuse  yourself  for  having 
written  in  this  strain  .''  It  has  not  increased  my  expec- 
tations nor  consequently  embittered  my  disappointment. 
When  I  addressed  you  in  my  first  letter  on  the  subject,  I 
was  not  induced  to  it  by  any  appearances  of  regard  you 
had  expressed,  neither  at  any  subsequent  period  have  my 
hopes  of  your  consent  been  founded  on  a  belief  of  your 
attachment  to  me,     I  knew  that  your  conduct  would  be 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,   1807-1809  247 

regulated,  not  by  personal  feelings,  but  by  a  sense  of  duty. 
And  therefore  you  have  nothing  to  blame  yourself  for  on 
this  head. 

In  your  last  letter  you  do  not  assign  among  your 
reasons  for  refusal  a  want  of  regard  to  me.  In  that  case 
I  could  not  in  decency  give  you  any  further  trouble.  On 
the  contrary,  you  say  that  'present  circumstances  seem  to 
you  to  forbid  my  indulging  expectations.'  As  this  leaves 
an  opening,  I  presume  to  address  you  again  ;  and  till  the 
answer  arrives  must  undergo  another  eighteen  months  of 
torturing  suspense. 

Alas !  my  rebellious  heart — what  a  tempest  agitates 
me !  I  knew  not  that  I  had  made  so  little  progress  in  a 
spirit  of  resignation  to  the  Divine  will.  I  am  in  my 
chastisement  like  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to  the  yoke, 
like  a  wild  bull  in  a  net,  full  of  the  fury  of  the  Lord,  the 
rebuke  of  my  God.  The  death  of  my  late  most  beloved 
sister  almost  broke  my  heart ;  but  I  hoped  it  had  softened 
me  and  made  me  willing  to  suffer.  But  now  my  heart  is 
as  though  destitute  of  the  grace  of  God,  full  of  misanthropic 
disgust  with  the  world,  and  sometimes  feeling  resentment 
against  yourself  and  Emma,  and  Mr.  Simeon,  and,  in  short, 
all  whom  I  love  and  honour  most ;  sometimes,  in  pride 
and  anger,  resolving  to  write  neither  to  you  nor  to  any  one 
else  again.  These  are  the  motions  of  sin.  My  love  and 
my  better  reason  draw  me  to  you  again,  .  .  .  But  now 
with  respect  to  your  mother,  I  confess  that  the  chief  and 
indeed  only  difficulty  lies  here.  Considering  that  she  is 
your  mother,  as  I  hoped  she  would  be  mine,  and  that  her 
happiness  so  much  depends  on  you  ;  considering  also  that 
I  am  God's  minister,  which  amidst  all  the  tumults  of  my 
soul  I  dare  not  forget,  I  falter  in  beginning  to  give 
advice  which  may  prove  contrary  to  the  law  of  God.  God 
forbid,  therefore,  that  I  should  say,  disobey  your  parents, 
where  the  Divine  law  does  not  command  you  to  disobey 
them  ;    neither  do   I   positively  take  upon  myself  to  say 


248  HENRY  MARTYN 

that  this  is  a  case  in  which  the  law  of  God  requires  you  to 
act  in  contradiction  to  them.  I  would  rather  suggest  to 
your  mother  some  considerations  which  justify  me  in  at- 
tempting to  deprive  her  of  the  company  of  a  beloved  child. 
October  26.—  A  Sabbath  having  intervened  since  the 
above  was  written,  I  find  myself  more  tranquillised  by  the 
sacred  exercises  of  the  day.  One  passage  of  Scripture 
which  you  quote  has  been  much  on  my  mind,  and  I  find  it 
very  appropriate  and  decisive, — that  we  are  not  to  '  make  to 
ourselves  crooked  paths,  which  whoso  walketh  in  shall  not 
know  peace.'  Let  me  say  I  must  be  therefore  contented  to 
wait  till  you  feel  that  the  way  is  clear.  But  I  intended  to 
justify  myself  to  Mrs.  Grenfell.  Let  her  not  suppose  that  I 
would  make  her  or  any  other  of  my  fellow-creatures  miser- 
able, that  I  might  be  happy.  If  there  were  no  reason  for 
your  coming  here,  and  the  contest  were  only  between  Mrs. 
Grenfell  and  me,  that  is,  between  her  happiness  and  mine, 
I  would  urge  nothing  further,  but  resign  you  to  her.  But 
I  have  considered  that  there  are  many  things  that  might 
reconcile  her  to  a  separation  from  you  (if  indeed  a  separa- 
tion is  necessary,  for  if  she  would  come  along  with  you,  I 
should  rejoice  the  more).  First,  she  does  not  depend  on 
you  alone  for  the  comfort  of  her  declining  years.  She  is 
surrounded  by  friends.  She  has  a  greater  number  of  sons 
and  daughters  honourably  established  in  the  world  than  falls 
to  the  lot  of  most  parents — all  of  whom  would  be  happy 
in  having  her  amongst  them.  Again,  if  a  person  worthy 
of  your  hand,  and  settled  in  England,  were  to  offer  him- 
self, Mrs.  Grenfell  would  not  have  insuperable  objections, 
though  it  did  deprive  her  of  her  daughter.  Nay,  I  some- 
times think,  perhaps  arrogantly,  that  had  I  myself  remained 
in  England,  and  in  possession  of  a  competency,  she  would 
not  have  withheld  her  consent.  Why,  then,  should  my 
banishment  from  my  native  country,  in  the  service  of  man- 
kind, be  a  reason  with  any  for  inflicting  an  additional  wound, 
far  more  painful  than  a  separation  from  my  dearest  relatives  ? 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,   1807-1809  249 

I  have  no  claim  upon  Mrs.  Grenfell  in  any  way,  but  let 
her  only  conceive  a  son  of  her  own  in  my  circumstances. 
If  she  feels  it  a  sacrifice,  let  her  remember  that  it  is  a 
sacrifice  made  to  duty ;  that  your  presence  here  would  be 
of  essential  service  to  the  Church  of  God  it  is  superfluous 
to  attempt  to  prove.  If  you  really  believe  of  yourself  as 
you  speak,  it  is  because  you  were  never  out  of  England. 

Your  mother  cannot  be  so  misinformed  respecting 
India  and  the  voyage  to  it  as  to  be  apprehensive  on  account 
of  the  climate  or  passage,  in  these  days  when  multitudes 
of  ladies  every  year,  with  constitutions  as  delicate  as  yours, 
go  to  and  fro  in  perfect  safety,  and  a  vastly  greater  majority 
enjoy  their  health  here  than  in  England.  With  respect  to 
my  means  I  need  add  nothing  to  what  was  said  in  my  first 
letter.  But,  alas  !  what  is  my  affluence  good  for  now  ?  It 
never  gave  me  pleasure  but  when  I  thought  you  were  to 
share  it  with  me.  Two  days  ago  I  was  hastening  on  the 
alterations  in  my  house  and  garden,  supposing  you  were  at 
hand ;  but  now  every  object  excites  disgust.  My  wish, 
upon  the  whole,  is  that  if  you  perceive  it  would  be  your 
duty  to  come  to  India,  were  it  not  for  your  mother — and 
of  that  you  cannot  doubt-supposing,  I  mean,  that  your 
inclinations  are  indifferent,  then  you  should  make  her 
acquainted  with  your  thoughts,  and  let  us  leave  it  to  God 
how  He  will  determine  her  mind. 

In  the  meantime,  since  I  am  forbidden  to  hope  for  the 
immediate  pleasure  of  seeing  you,  my  next  request  is  for  a 
mutual  engagement.  My  own  heart  is  engaged,  I  believe, 
indissolubly. 

My  reason  for  making  a  request  which  you  will  account 
bold  is  that  there  can  then  be  no  possible  objection  to  our 
correspondence,  especially  as  I  promise  not  to  persuade 
you  to  leave  your  mother. 

In  the  midst  of  my  present  sorrow  I  am  constrained 
to  remember  yours.  Your  compassionate  heart  is  pained 
from    having   been    the   cause  of  suffering   to   me.      But 


2SO  HENRY  MARTYN 

care  not  for  me,  dearest  Lydia.  Next  to  the  bliss  of 
having  you  with  me,  my  happiness  is  to  know  that  you 
are  happy.  I  shall  have  to  groan  long,  perhaps,  with  a 
heavy  heart ;  but  if  I  am  not  hindered  materially  by  it 
in  the  work  of  God,  it  will  be  for  the  benefit  of  my  soul. 
You,  sister  beloved  in  the  Lord,  know  much  of  the  benefit 
of  affliction.  Oh,  may  I  have  grace  to  follow  you,  though 
at  a  humble  distance,  in  the  path  of  patient  suffering,  in 
which  you  have  walked  so  long  !  Day  and  night  I  cease 
not  to  pray  for  you,  though  I  fear  my  prayers  are  of  little 
value. 

But,  as  an  encouragement  to  you  to  pray,  I  cannot  help 
transcribing  a  few  words  from  my  journal,  written  at  the 
time  you  wrote  your  letter  to  me  (March  7)  :  '  As  on  the 
two  last  days'  (you  wrote  your  letter  on  the  5th),  'felt  no 
desire  for  a  comfortable  settlement  in  the  world,  scarcely 
pleasure  at  the  thought  of  Lydia's  coming,  except  so  far  as 
her  being  sent  might  be  for  the  good  of  my  soul  and 
assistance  in  my  work.  How  manifestly  is  there  an  omni- 
present, all-seeing  God,  and  how  sure  we  may  be  that 
prayers  for  spiritual  blessings  are  heard  by  our  God  and 
Father!  Oh,  let  that  endearing  name  quell  every  murmur! 
When  I  am  sent  for  to  different  parts  of  the  country  to 
officiate  at  marriages,  I  sometimes  think,  amidst  the 
festivity  of  the  company,  Why  does  all  go  so  easily  with 
them,  and  so  hardly  with  me  ?  They  come  together  with- 
out difficulty,  and  I  am  baulked  and  disconcerted  almost 
every  step  I  take,  and  condemned  to  wear  away  the  time 
in  uncertainty.  Then  I  call  to  mind  that  to  live  without 
chastening  is  allowed  to  the  spurious  offspring,  while  to 
suffer  is  the  privilege  of  the  children  of  God.' 

Dearest  Lydia,  must  I  conclude  ?  I  could  prolong  my 
communion  with  you  through  many  sheets  ;  how  many 
things  have  I  to  say  to  you,  which  I  hoped  to  have  com- 
municated in  person.  But  the  more  I  write  and  the  more 
I  think  of  you,  the  more  my  affection  warms,  and  I  should 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,    1807-1809  251 

feel  it  difficult  to  keep  my  pen  from  expressions  that  might 
not  be  acceptable  to  you. 

Farewell  !  dearest,  most  beloved  Lydia,  remember  your 
faithful  and  ever  affectionate, 

H.  Martyn. 

October  25.  (Sunday.) — Preached  on  Isaiah  Hi.  13  to  a 
large  congregation,  my  mind  continually  in  heaviness,  and 
my  health  disturbed  in  consequence.  The  women  still 
fewer  than  ever  at  Hindustani  prayer,  and,  at  night,  some 
of  the  men  who  were  not  on  duty  did  not  come  ;  all  these 
things  are  deeply  afflicting,  and  yet  my  heart  is  so  full  of 
its  own  griefs,  that  I  mourn  not  as  I  ought  for  the  Church 
of  God.  I  have  not  a  moment's  relief  from  my  burdens 
but  after  being  some  time  in  prayer  ;  afterwards  my  uneasi- 
ness and  misery  return  again. 

October  26. — Mirza  from  Benares  arrived  to-day  ;  I 
employed  all  the  day  in  writing  letters  to  Mr.  Brown, 
Corrie,  and  Lydia.  The  last  was  a  sweet  and  tranquillising 
employment  to  me.  I  felt  more  submission  to  the  Divine 
will,  and  began  to  be  more  solicitous  about  Lydia's  peace 
and  happiness  than  my  own.  How  much  has  she  been 
called  to  suffer !  These  are  they  that  come  out  of  great 
tribulation. 

To  Rev.  David  Brown 

Dinapore  :  October  26,  1807. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  received  your  two  letters  of  the 
14th  and  17th  ;  the  last  contained  a  letter  from  Lydia.  It 
is  as  I  feared.  She  refuses  to  come  because  her  mother 
will  not  give  her  consent.  Sir,  you  must  not  wonder  at 
my  pale  looks  when  I  receive  so  many  hard  blows  on  my 
heart.  Yet  a  Father's  love  appoints  the  trial,  and  I  pray 
that  it  may  have  its  intended  effect.  Yet,  if  you  wish  to 
prolong  my  existence  in  this  world,  make  a  representation 
to  some  persons  at  home  who  may  influence  her  friends. 


252  HENRY  MARTYN 

Your  word  will  be  believed  sooner  than  mine.  The  ex- 
traordinary effect  of  mental  disorder  on  my  bodily  frame  is 
unfortunate  ;  trouble  brings  on  disease  and  disorders  the 
sleep.  In  this  way  I  am  labouring  a  little  now,  but  not 
much  ;  in  a  few  days  it  will  pass  away  again.  He  that 
hath  delivered  and  doth  deliver,  is  He  in  whom  we  trust 
that  He  will  yet  deliver. 

The  queen's  ware  on  its  way  to  me  can  be  sold  at  an 
outcry  or  sent  to-Corrie.  I  do  not  want  queen's  ware 
or  anything  else  now.  My  new  house  and  garden, 
without  the  person  I  expected  to  share  it  with  me,  excite 
disgust. 

Novejnber  25. — Letters  came  from  Mr.  Simeon  and 
Lydia,  both  of  which  depressed  my  spirits  exceedingly  ; 
though  1  have  been  writing  for  some  days  past,  that  I 
might  have  it  in  my  power  to  consider  myself  free,  so  as  to 
be  able  to  go  to  Persia  or  elsewhere ; — yet,  now  that  the 
wished-for  permission  is  come,  I  am  filled  with  grief ;  I 
cannot  bear  to  part  with  Lydia,  and  she  seems  more 
necessary  to  me  than  my  life ;  yet  her  letter  was  to  bid 
me  a  last  farewell.  Oh,  how  have  I  been  crossed  from 
childhood,  and  yet  how  little  benefit  have  I  received  from 
these  chastisements  of  my  God  !  The  Lord  now  sanctify 
this,  that  since  the  last  desire  of  my  heart  also  is  withheld, 
I  may  with  resignation  turn  away  for  ever  from  the  world, 
and  henceforth  live  forgetful  of  all  but  God.  With  Thee, 
O  my  God,  there  is  no  disappointment  ;  I  shall  never 
have  to  regret  that  I  loved  Thee  too  well.  Thou  hast  said, 
*  Delight  thyself  in  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  give  thee  the 
desires  of  thine  heart' 

November  26. — Received  a  letter  from  Emma,  which 
again  had  a  tendency  to  depress  my  spirits  ;  all  the  day  I 
could  not  attain  to  sweet  resignation  to  God.  I  seemed  to 
be  cut  off  for  ever  from  happiness  in  not  having  Lydia  with 
m.e. 


DINAPORE  AND  PATNA,   1807-1809  253 

The  receipt  of  his  letter  of  October  24,  1807,  was  thus 
acknowledged,  before  God,  by  Lydia  Grenfell  in  her 
Diary : 

1808,  May  9. — A  letter  from  my  dear  friend  in  India 
(requesting  me  to  come  out)  reached  me.  These  words 
form  my  comfort  :  '  Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God.'  I 
see  my  duty  pointed  out,  and  am  persuaded,  dark  as  the 
prospect  is,  God  will  appear  God  in  this  matter ;  whether 
we  meet  again  or  not.  His  great  power  and  goodness  will 
be  displayed — it  has  been  in  quieting  my  heart,  for  oh, 
the  trial  is  not  small  of  seeing  the  state  of  his  mind.  But 
I  am  to  be  still,  and  now,  O  Lord,  let  Thy  love  fill  my  soul, 
let  it  be  supreme  in  his  breast  and  mine  ;  there  is  no  void 
where  Thou  dwellest,  whatever  else  is  wanting. 

May  II. — My  mind  distressed,  perplexed,  and  troubled 
for  my  dear  friend  ;  much  self-reflection  for  having  suffered 
him  to  see  my  regard  for  him  (and  what  it  is),  yet  the 
comforts  of  God's  Word  return — '  Why  take  ye  thought  .■" ' 
said  our  Lord.  Yet  to-morrow  burdens  the  present  day. 
Oh,  pity  and  support  me  to  bear  the  thought  of  injuring  his 
peace — inquire  if  the  cause  is  of  God. 

May  15. — Lord,  Thou  seest  my  wanderings— oh,  how 
many,  how  great !  Put  my  tears  into  Thy  bottle.  Yes, 
my  Lord,  I  can  forsake  Thee  and  be  content  ;  I  turn  and 
turn,  restless  and  miserable,  till  I  am  turned  to  Thee. 
What  a  week  have  I  passed  !  never  may  such  another  pass 
over  my  head  ! — my  thoughts  wholly  occupied  about  my 
absent  friend — distressed  for  his  distress,  and  full  of  self- 
reproaches  for  all  that's  past—  writing  bitter  things  against 
myself — my  heart  alienated  dreadfully  from  God — and  the 
duties  I  am  in  the  habit  of  performing  all  neglected.  Oh, 
should  the  Lord  not  awake  for  me  and  draw  me  back, 
whither  should  I  go  .''  His  Word  has  been  my  comfort  at 
times,  but  Satan  or  conscience  (I  doubt  which)  tells  me  I 
am  in  a  delusion  to  take  the  comfort  of  God's  Word,  for  I 


254  HENRV  MARTYN 

ought  to  suffer.  But  am  I  justified  in  putting  comfort  from 
me  ?  since  I  no  way  excuse  myself,  but  am,  I  trust,  hum- 
bled for  my  imprudence  in  letting  my  friend  know  the 
state  of  mind  towards  him,  and  this  is  all  I  have  injured 
him  in.  I  accuse  myself,  too,  for  want  of  candour  with  my 
family,  and  oh,  let  me  not  forget  the  greatest  offence  of  all — 
not  consulting  the  will  and  glory  of  God  in  indulging  and 
encouraging  a  regard  He  seems  to  frown  on.  I  have 
to-day  found  deliverance,  and  felt  some  measure  of  calm 
reliance.  I  know  there  is  a  particular  providence  over  him 
and  me,  but  this  belief  does  not  lessen  my  fears  of  acting 
wrong — I  am  as  responsible  as  if  all  were  left  to  me. 
What  shall  I  do  but  say,  Because  Thou  hast  been  my  help, 
therefore  in  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings  will  I  trust  ?  I  fly 
to  Thy  power  and  take  shelter  in  Thy  love  to  sinners.  Oh, 
for  a  continually  bleeding  heart,  mourning  for  sin  ! 

June  12. — I  have  peace  in  my  soul  to-day.  My  re- 
membrance of  God's  dear  saint  in  India  is  frequent,  but 
I  am  still  in  this  affair,  and  expect  to  know  more  of  the 
infinite  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness  of  our  God  in  it  and 
by  it  than  I  have  heretofore.  My  prayer  for  him  constantly 
is  that  he  may  be  supported,  guided,  and  made  in  all  things 
obedient  and  submissive  to  the  will  of  his  God. 

Henry  Martyn  seems  to  have  written  again  to  Marazion, 
at  this  time,  a  letter  which  has  not  been  preserved,  for 
Lydia  Grenfell  thus  refers  to  it : 

August  29. — Heard  of  my  absent  dear  friend  by  this 
day's  post,  and  was  strangely  affected,  though  the  intelli- 
gence was  satisfactory  in  every  respect.  I  sought  deliver- 
ance in  prayer,  and  the  Lord  spoke  peace  to  my  agitated 
mind,  and  gave  me  what  I  desired — -liberty  of  soul  to 
return  to  Himself,  and  the  contemplation  of  heavenly 
things,  though  a  sadness  remained  on  my  spirit.  Heard 
three  sermons,  for  I  thought  it  best  to  be  less  alone  than 


DiNAPORk  AND  PATNA,   1 807-1 809  255 

usual,  lest  my  thoughts  should  wander.  Found  great  hard- 
ness of  heart  in  the  services  of  the  day,  but  I  doubt 
whether  my  affections  were  spiritual  or  not,  though  they 
arose  from  a  longing  to  be  in  heaven,  and  a  joyful  sense 
of  the  certainty  that  God  would  bring  me  there. 

September  11. — After  some  days  of  darkness  and  dis- 
tress, sweet  peace  and  light  return,  and  my  soul  rests  on 
God  as  my  all-sufficient  help.  Oh,  the  idolatrous  state  of 
my  heart !  what  painful  discoveries  are  made  to  me !  I 
see  the  stream  of  my  affections  has  been  turned  from  God 

and  on An  exertion  must  be  made,  like  cutting 

off  a  right  hand,  in  order  to  give  Thee,  O  Lord,  my  heart. 
I  must  hear  neither  of  nor  from  the  person  God  has  called 
in  His  providence  to  serve  Him  in  a  distant  country.  Oh, 
to  be  resolute,  knowing  by  woeful  experience  the  necessity 
of  guarding  my  thoughts  against  the  remembrance  of  one, 
though  dear.  As  I  value  the  presence  of  my  God,  I  must 
avoid  everything  that  leads  my  thoughts  to  this  subject — 
O  Lord,  keep  me  dependent  on  Thee  for  grace  to  do  so  ; 
Thou  hast  plainly  informed  me  of  Thy  will  by  withholding 
Thy  presence  at  this  time,  and  Thy  Word  directed  me  to 
lay  aside  this  weight. 

October  30. — Thought  of  my  dear  friend  to-night  with 
tenderness,  but  entire  resignation  to  Thy  will,  O  our  God, 
in  never  seeing  or  hearing  from  him  again  ;  to  meet  him 
above  is  my  desire. 

December  30. — I  reckon  among  my  mercies  the  Lord's 
having  enabled  me  to  choose  a  single  life,  and  that  my 
friend  in  India  has  been  so  well  reconciled  to  my  determi- 
nation. That  trial  was  a  sore  one,  and  I  believe  the  effects 
of  it  will  be  felt  as  long  as  I  live.  My  weak  frame  could 
not  support  the  perturbed  state  of  my  mind,  and  the 
various  painful  apprehensions  that  assailed  me  on  his 
arrival  nearly  wore  me  down.  But  the  Lord  removed 
them  all  by  showing  me  He  approved  of  my  choice,  and 
in  granting  me   the  tidings   of  his  enjoying   peace   and 


256  HENRY  MARTYN 

happiness  in  our  separation.  Every  burden  now  respecting 
him  is  removed,  and  my  soul  has  only  to  praise  the  wise 
and  gracious  hand  which  brought  me  through  that  thorny 
path.  It  was  one  I  made  to  myself,  by  ever  entering  into 
a  correspondence  with  him,  and  by  expressing  too  freely 
my  regard. 

On  March  28,  1809,  Martyn  wrote  to  Mr.  Brown  : 

Your  letter  is  just  come.  The  Europe  letter  is  from 
Lydia.  I  trembled  at  the  handwriting.  ...  It  was  only 
more  last  words,  sent  by  the  advice  of  Colonel  Sandys,  lest 
the  non-arrival  of  the  former  might  keep  me  in  suspense. 
...  I  trust  that  I  have  done  with  the  entanglements  of 
this  world  ;  seldom  a  day  passes  but  I  thank  God  for  the 
freedom  from  earthly  care  which  I  enjoy. 

And  so  end  Henry  Martyn's  love-letters,  marked  by  a 
delicacy  as  well  as  tenderness  of  feeling  in  such  contrast  to 
the  action  of  Lydia  Grenfell  throughout,  as  to  explain  the 
mingled  resentment  and  resignation  in  which  they  close. 
The  request  for  a  mutual  engagement  which  would  justify 
correspondence  at  least  seems  to  have  been  unheeded  for 
some  months,  till  the  news  of  his  serious  illness  in  July 
1808  led  her  again  to  write  to  him,  as  taking  the  place 
of  his  sister  who  had  been  removed  by  death.  He  was 
ordered  to  Cawnpore,  and  set  off  in  the  hot  season  by  Chunar 
and  Ghazipore,  writing  these  last  words  on  April  11,  1809, 
from  Dinapore: 

My  men  seem  to  be  in  a  more  flourishing  state  than 
they  have  yet  been.  About  thirty  attend  every  night.  I 
had  a  delightful  party  this  week,  or  six  young  men,  who 
will,  I  hope,  prove  to  be  true  soldiers  of  Christ.  Seldom, 
even  at  Cambridge,  have  I  been  so  much  pleased. 


as7 


CHAPTER   VII 

CAWNPORE,    1 809-1810 

Mrs.  Sherwood,  known  in  the  first  decade  of  this  century 
as  a  writer  of  such  Anglo-Indian  tales  as  Little  Henry 
and  his  Bearer,  and  as  a  philanthropist  who  did  much  for 
the  white  and  the  dark  orphans  of  British  soldiers  in  India, 
was  one  of  the  many  who  came  under  the  influence  of 
Henry  Martyn.  This  Lichfield  girl,  whose  father  had  been 
the  playmate  of  Samuel  Johnson,  and  who  had  known 
Garrick  and  Dr.  Darwin,  Hannah  More  and  Maria 
Edgeworth,  had  married  her  cousin,  the  paymaster  of  the 
King's  53rd  Regiment  of  Foot.  The  regiment  was  sent 
to  Bengal.  On  its  way  up  the  Hoogli  from  Calcutta 
in  boats,  Mr.  Sherwood  and  his  wife  were  walking  after 
sunset,  when  they  stumbled  on  '  a  small  society '  of  their 
own  men,  who  met  regularly  to  read  their  Bibles  and  to  pray, 
often  in  old  stores,  ravines,  woods,  and  other  retired  places. 
'The  very  existence  of  any  person  in  the  barracks  who 
had  the  smallest  notion  of  the  importance  of  religion  was 
quite  unsuspected  by  me,'  writes  Mrs.  Sherwood  in  her 
Autobiography.^  '  I  am  not  severe  when  I  assert  that  at 
that  time  there  really  was  not  one  in  the  higher  ranks  in 
the  regiment  who  had  courage  enough  to  come  forward  and 

'   The  Life  of  Mrs.    Sherwood  (chiefly  autobiographical),  edited  by  her 
Daughter.     London,  1854. 

S 


258  HENRY  MARTYN 

say,  "I  think  it  right,  in  this  distant  land,  to  do,  as  it  regards 
religion,  what  I  have  been  accustomed  to  do  at  home." ' 
At  Berhampore,  the  chaplain,  Mr.  Parson,  began  that  good 
work  in  the  53rd  which  Martyn  and  Corrie  afterwards 
carried  on.  When  it  continued  the  voyage  up  the  Ganges, 
after  a  season,  by  Dinapore  to  Cawnpore,  Mr.  Parson  gave 
the  Sherwoods  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Martyn,  then 
about  to  leave  Dinapore.  To  this  fact  we  owe  the  fullest 
and  the  brightest  glimpses  that  we  get  of  Henry  Martyn, 
from  the  outside,  all  through  his  career.  We  are  enabled  to 
supplement  the  abasing  self-revelation  of  his  nature  before 
God,  as  recorded  in  his  Journal,  by  the  picture  of  his  daily 
life,  drawn  by  a  woman  of  keen  sympathy  and  some 
shrewdness. 

The  moment  the  boat  anchored  at  Dinapore  Mr. 
Sherwood  set  out  on  foot  to  present  his  letter.  He  found 
the  chaplain  in  the  smaller  square,  at  some  distance,  in  a 
*  sort  of  church-like  abode  with  little  furniture,  the  rooms 
wide  and  high,  with  many  vast  doorways,  having  their  green 
jalousied  doors,  and  long  verandahs  encompassing  two 
sides  of  the  quarters.' 

Mr.  Martyn  received  Mr.  Sherwood  not  as  a  stranger, 
but  as  a  brother, — the  child  of  the  same  father.  As  the 
sun  was  already  low,  he  must  needs  walk  back  with  him  to 
see  me.  I  perfectly  remember  the  figure  of  that  simple- 
hearted  and  holy  young  man,  when  he  entered  our 
budgerow.  He  was  dressed  in  white,  and  looked  very  pale, 
which,  however,  was  nothing  singular  in  India  ;  his  hair,  a 
light  brown,  was  raised  from  his  forehead,  which  was  a 
remarkably  fine  one.  His  features  were  not  regular,  but 
the  expression  was  so  luminous,  so  intellectual,  so 
affectionate,  so  beaming  with  Divine  charity,  that  no  one 
could   have  looked  at  his  features,  and  thought  of  their 


CAWNPORE,  1809- 1 8  lo  259 

shape  or  form, — the  out- beaming  of  his  soul  would  absorb  the 
attention  of  every  observer.  There  was  a  very  decided  air, 
too,  of  the  gentleman  about  Mr.  Martyn,  and  a  perfection 
of  manners  which,  from  his  extreme  attention  to  all  minute 
civilities,  might  seem  almost  inconsistent  with  the  general 
bent  of  his  thoughts  to  the  most  serious  subjects.  He  was 
as  remarkable  for  ease  as  for  cheerfulness,  and  in  these 
particulars  his  Journal  does  not  give  a  graphic  account  of 
this  blessed  child  of  God.  I  was  much  pleased  at  the  first 
sight  of  Mr.  Martyn.  I  had  heard  much  of  him  from  Mr. 
Parson  ;  but  I  had  no  anticipation  of  his  hereafter 
becoming  so  distinguished  as  he  subsequently  did.  And 
if  I  anticipated  it  little,  he,  I  am  sure,  anticipated  it  less  ; 
for  he  was  one  of  the  humblest  of  men. 

Mr.  Martyn  invited  us  to  visit  him  at  his  quarters  at 
Dinapore,  and  we  agreed  to  accept  his  invitation  the  next 
day,  Mr.  Martyn's  house  was  destitute  of  every  comfort, 
though  he  had  multitudes  of  people  about  him.  I  had 
been  troubled  with  a  pain  in  my  face,  and  there  was  not 
such  a  thing  as  a  pillow  in  the  house.  I  could  not  find 
anything  to  lay  my  head  on  at  night  but  a  bolster  stuffed 
as  hard  as  a  pin-cushion.  We  had  not,  as  is  usual  in  India 
brought  our  own  bedding  from  the  boats.  Our  kind  friend 
had  given  us  his  own  room  ;  but  I  could  get  no  rest  during 
the  two  nights  of  my  remaining  there,  from  the  pain  in  my 
face,  which  was  irritated  by  the  bolster  ;  but  during  each 
day,  however,  there  was  much  for  the  mind  to  feed  upon 
with  delight.  After  breakfast  Mr.  Martyn  had  family 
prayers,  which  he  commenced  by  singing  a  hymn.  He  had 
a  rich,  deep  voice,  and  a  fine  taste  for  vocal  music.  After 
singing,  he  read  a  chapter,  explained  parts  of  it,  and  prayed 
extempore.  Afterwards  he  withdrew  to  his  studies  and  trans- 
lations. The  evening  was  finished  with  another  hymn.  Scrip- 
ture reading,  and  prayers.  The  conversion  of  the  natives 
and  the  building  up  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  were  the  great 
objects  for  which  alone  that  child  of  God  seemed  to  exist. 

S2 


26o  HENRY  MARTYN 

He  believed  that  he  saw  the  ghmmering  of  this  day  in 
the  exertions  then  making  in  Europe  for  the  diffusion  of 
the  Scriptures  and  the  sending  forth  of  missionaries. 
Influenced  by  the  behef  that  man's  ministry  was  the 
instrumentality  which,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  would  be  made 
effectual  to  the  work,  we  found  him  labouring  beyond  his 
strength,  and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  excite  other  persons 
to  use  the  same  exertions. 

Henry  Martyn  was  one  of  the  very  few  persons  v/hom  I 
have  ever  met  who  appeared  never  to  be  drawn  away  from 
one  leading  and  prevailing  object  of  interest,  and  that 
object  was  the  promotion  of  religion.  He  did  not  appear 
like  one  who  felt  the  necessity  of  contending  with  the 
world,  and  denying  himself  its  delights,  but  rather  as  one 
who  was  unconscious  of  the  existence  of  any  attractions 
in  the  world,  or  of  any  delights  which  were  worthy  of  his 
notice.  When  he  relaxed  from  his  labours  in  the  presence 
of  his  friends,  it  was  to  play  and  laugh  like  an  innocent, 
happy  child,  more  especially  if  children  were  present  to 
play  and  laugh  with  him.  In  my  Indian  Journal  I  find 
this  remark  :  '  Mr.  Martyn  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing,  mild, 
and  heavenly-minded  men,  walking  in  this  turbulent  world 
with  peace  in  his  mind,  and  charity  in  his  heart' 

As  the  regiment  was  passing  Chunar,  after  a  night  in 
*  the  polluted  air '  of  Benares,  the  Sherwoods  were  met  by 
a  boat  with  fresh  bread  and  vegetables  from  Corrie,  On 
their  arrival  at  Cawnpore,  Mrs.  Sherwood  at  once  opened  two 
classes  for  the  '  great  boys '  and  '  elder  girls.'  Many  of  the 
former  died  in  a  few  years,  and  not  a  few  of  the  latter  married 
officers  above  their  own  birth.  Such  were  the  conditions  of 
military  life  in  India  at  that  time,  notwithstanding  the 
Calcutta  Orphan  Schools  which  David  Brown  had  first  gone 
out  to  India  to  organise  ;  for  Henry  Lawrence  and  his  noble 
wife,  Honoria,  with  their  Military  Orphan  Asylums  in  the 
hills,  belonged  to  a  later  generation. 


CAWNPORE,  1809  1810  26T 

When  first  ordered  to  Cavvnpore,  in  the  hottest  months 
of  1809,  Henry  Martyn  resolved  to  apply  to  the  Military 
Board  for  permission  to  delay  his  departure  till  the  rainy 
season.  But,  though  even  then  wasted  by  consumption 
and  ceaseless  toil,  and  tempted  to  spend  the  dreary  months 
with  the  beloved  Corrie  at  Chunar,  as  he  might  well  have 
done  under  the  customary  rules,  he  could  not  linger  when 
duty  called.  Had  he  not  resolved  to  '  burn  out '  his  life  ? 
So,  deluding  himself  by  the  intention  to  'stay  a  little  longer 
to  recruit '  at  Chunar,  should  he  suffer  from  the  heat,  he 
set  off  in  the  middle  of  April  in  a  palanquin  by  Arrah,  after- 
wards the  scene  of  a  heroic  defence  in  the  great  Mutiny; 
Buxar,  where  a  battle  had  been  fought  not  long  before, 
and  Ghazipore,  seat  of  the  opium  manufacture,  like  Patna. 
Sabat  was  sent  on  in  a  budgerow,  with  his  wife  Ameena 
and  the  baggage.  This  is  Martyn's  account,  to  Brown,  of 
the  voyage  above  Chunar : 

Cawnpore  :  May  3,  1809. 

I  transported  myself  with  such  rapidity  to  this  place 
that  I  had  nearly  transported  myself  out  of  the  world. 
From  Dinapore  to  Chunar  all  was  well,  but  from  Allahabad 
to  that  place  I  was  obliged  to  travel  two  days  and  nights 
without  intermission,  the  hot  winds  blowing  like  fire 
from  a  furnace.  Two  days  after  my  arrival  the  fever 
which  had  been  kindling  in  my  blood  broke  out,  and  last 
night  I  fainted  repeatedly.  But  a  gracious  God  has  again 
interposed  to  save  my  life  ;  to-day  I  feel  well  again.  Where 
Sabat  is  I  do  not  know.  I  have  heard  nothing  of  him 
since  leaving  Dinapore.  Corrie  is  well,  but  it  is  grievous 
to  see  him  chained  to  a  rock  with  a  few  half-dead  invalids, 
when  so  many  stations — amongst  others,  the  one  I  have 
left — are  destitute.  .  .  .. 

I  do  not  like  this  place  at  all.  There  is  no  church, 
not  so  much  as  the  fly  of  a  tent ;  what  to  do  I  know  not 


262  HENRY  MARTYN 

except  to  address  Lord  Minto  in  a  private  letter.  Mr. 
(Charles)  Grant,  who  is  anxious  that  we  should  labour 
principally  for  the  present  among  the  Europeans,  ought, 
I  think,  to  help  us  with  a  house.  I  mean  to  write  to 
Mr.  Simeon  about  this. 

I  feel  a  little  uncomfortable  at  being  so  much  farther 
removed  from  Calcutta.  At  Dinapore  I  had  friends  on 
both  sides  of  me,  and  correspondence  with  you  was  quick  : 
here  I  seem  cut  off  from  the  world.  Alas  !  how  dependent 
is  my  heart  upon  the  creature  still.  I  am  ordered  to  seal 
up. — Yours  affectionately  ever, 

H.  Martyn. 

This  is  Mrs.  Sherwood's  description  of  his  arrival : 

On  May  30  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn  arrived  at  our  bunga- 
low. The  former  chaplain  had  proceeded  to  the  presidency, 
and  we  were  so  highly  favoured  as  to  have  Mr.  Martyn 
appointed  in  his  place.  I  am  not  aware  whether  we  expected 
him,  but  certainly  not  at  the  time  when  he  did  appear.  It 
was  in  the  morning,  and  we  were  situated  as  above  described, 
the  desert  winds  blowing  like  fire  without,  when  we  suddenly 
heard  the  quick  steps  of  many  bearers.  Mr.  Sherwood 
ran  out  to  the  leeward  of  the  house,  and  exclaimed,  *  Mr. 
Martyn  ! '  The  next  moment  I  saw  him  leading  in  that 
excellent  man,  and  saw  our  visitor,  a  moment  afterwards, 
fall  down  in  a  fainting  fit.  He  had  travelled  in  a  palanquin 
from  Dinapore,  and  the  first  part  of  the  way  he  moved  only 
by  night.  But  between  Cawnpore  and  Allahabad,  being  a 
hundred  and  thirty  miles,  there  is  no  resting-place,  and  he 
was  compelled  for  two  days  and  two  nights  to  journey  on 
in  his  palanquin,  exposed  to  the  raging  heat  of  a  fiery  wind. 
He  arrived,  therefore,  quite  exhausted,  and  actually  under 
the  influence  of  fever.  There  was  not  another  family  in 
Cawnpore  except  ours  to  which  he  could  have  gone  with 
pleasure  ;  not  because  any  family  would  have  denied 
shelter  to  a  countryman  in  such  a  condition,  but,  alas  !  they 


CAWNPORK,  1809-1810  263 

were  only  Christians  in  name.  In  his  fainting  state  Mr. 
Martyn  could  not  have  retired  to  the  sleeping-room  which 
we  caused  to  be  prepared  immediately  for  him,  because  we 
had  no  means  of  cooling  any  sleeping-room  so  thoroughly 
as  we  could  the  hall.  We,  therefore,  had  a  couch  set  for 
him  in  the  hall.  There  he  was  laid,  and  very  ill  he  was  for 
a  day  or  two.  The  hot  winds  left  us,  and  we  had  a  close, 
suffocating  calm.  Mr.  Martyn  could  not  lift  his  head  from 
the  couch.  In  our  bungalow,  when  shut  up  as  close  as 
it  could  be,  we  could  not  get  the  thermometer  under  96°, 
though  the  punkah  was  constantly  going.  When  Mr. 
Martyn  got  a  little  better  he  became  very  cheerful,  and 
seemed  quite  happy  with  us  all  about  him.  He  commonly 
lay  on  his  couch  in  the  hall  during  the  morning,  with  many 
books  near  to  his  hand,  and  amongst  these  always  a  Hebrew 
Bible  and  a  Greek  Testament.  Soon,  very  soon,  he  began 
to  talk  to  me  of  what  was  passing  in  his  mind,  calling  to 
me  at  my  table  to  tell  me  his  thoughts.  He  was  studying 
the  Hebrew  characters,  having  an  idea,  which  I  believe  is 
not  a  new  one,  that  these  characters  contain  the  elements 
of  all  things,  though  I  have  reason  to  suppose  he  could  not 
make  them  out  at  all  to  his  satisfaction  ;  but  whenever 
anything  occurred  to  him  he  must  needs  make  it  known 
to  me. 

He  was  much  engaged  also  with  another  subject,  into 
which  I  was  more  capable  of  entering.  It  was  his  opinion 
that,  if  the  Hindus  could  be  persuaded  that  all  nations  are 
made  of  one  blood,  to  dwell  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  and 
if  they  could  be  shown  how  each  nation  is  connected  by  its 
descent  from  the  sons  and  grandsons  of  Noah  with  other 
nations  existing  upon  the  globe,  it  would  be  a  means 
of  breaking  down,  or  at  least  of  loosening,  that  wall  of 
separation  which  they  have  set  up  between  themselves  and 
all  other  people.  With  this  view  Mr.  Martyn  was  endea- 
vouring to  trace  up  the  various  leading  families  of  the  earth 
to  their   great  progenitors  ;   and  so    much  pleased  was  I 


264  HENRY  MARTYN 

with  what  he  said  on  this  subject,  that  I  immediately  com- 
mitted all  I  could  remember  to  paper,  and  founded  there- 
upon a  system  of  historical  instruction  which  I  ever  after- 
wards used  with  my  children.  Mr.  Martyn,  like  myself  at 
this  time,  was  often  perplexed  and  dismayed  at  the  workings 
of  his  own  heart,  yet,  perhaps,  not  discerning  a  hundredth 
part  of  the  depth  of  the  depravity  of  his  own  nature,  the 
character  of  which  is  summed  up  in  Holy  Writ  in  these  two 
words — '  utterly  unclean.'  He  felt  this  the  more  strongly 
because  he  partook  also  of  that  new  nature  '  which  sinneth 
not'  It  was  in  the  workings  and  actings  of  that  nature 
that  his  character  shone  so  pre-eminently  as  it  did  amid  a 
dark  and  unbelieving  society,  such  as  was  ours  then  at 
Cawnpore. 

In  a  very  few  days  he  had  discerned  the  sweet  qualities 
of  the  orphan  Annie,  and  had  so  encouraged  her  to  come 
about  him  that  she  drew  her  chair,  and  her  table,  and  her 
green  box  to  the  vicinity  of  his  couch.  She  showed  him 
her  verses,  and  consulted  him  about  the  adoption  of  more 
passages  into  the  number  of  her  favourites,  Annie  had  a 
particular  delight  in  all  the  pastoral  views  given  in  Scripture 
of  our  Saviour  and  of  His  Church  ;  and  when  Mr.  Martyn 
showed  her  this  beautiful  passage,  *  Feed  Thy  people  with 
Thy  rod,  the  flock  of  Thine  heritage,  which  dwell  solitarily 
in  the  wood,  in  the  midst  of  Carmel '  (Micah  vii.  14),  she 
was  as  pleased  with  this  passage  as  if  she  had  made  some 
wonderful  acquisition.  What  could  have  been  more 
beautiful  than  to  see  the  Senior  Wrangler  and  the  almost 
infant  Annie  thus  conversing  together,  whilst  the  elder 
seemed  to  be  in  no  ways  conscious  of  any  condescension  in 
bringing  down  his  mind  to  the  level  of  the  child's  ?  Such 
are  the  beautiful  influences  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  which, 
whilst  they  depress  the  high  places  of  human  pride,  exalt 
the  lowly  valleys. 

When  Mr.  Martyn  lost  the  worst  symptoms  of  his  ill- 
ness he  used  to  sing  a  great  deal.     He  had  an  uncommonly 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  265 

fine  voice  and  fine  ear ;  he  could  sing  many  fine  chants, 
and  a  vast  variety  of  hymns  and  psalms.  He  would  insist 
upon  it  that  I  should  sing  with  him,  and  he  taught  me 
many  tunes,  all  of  which  were  afterwards  brought  into 
requisition  ;  and  when  fatigued  himself,  he  made  me  sit  by 
his  couch  and  practise  these  hymns.  He  would  listen  to 
my  singing,  which  was  altogether  very  unscientific,  for 
hours  together,  and  he  was  constantly  requiring  me  to  go 
on,  even  when  I  was  tired.  The  tunes  he  taught  me,  no 
doubt,  reminded  him  of  England,  and  of  scenes  and  friends 
no  longer  seen.  The  more  simple  the  style  of  singing,  the 
more  it  probably  answered  his  purpose. 

As  soon  as  Mr,  Martyn  could  in  any  way  exert  himself, 
he  made  acquaintance  with  some  of  the  pious  men  of  the 
regiment  (the  same  poor  men  whom  I  have  mentioned 
before,  who  used  to  meet  in  ravines,  in  huts,  in  woods,  and 
in  every  wild  and  secret  place  they  could  find,  to  read,  and 
pray,  and  sing) ;  and  he  invited  them  to  come  to  him  in 
our  house,  Mr.  Sherwood  making  no  objection.  The  time 
first  fixed  was  an  evening  after  parade,  and  in  consequence 
they  all  appeared  at  the  appointed  hour,  each  carrying 
their  mora  (a  low  seat),  and  their  books  tied  up  in  pocket- 
handkerchiefs.  In  this  very  unmilitary  fashion  they  were 
all  met  in  a  body  by  some  officers.  It  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  Mr.  Sherwood  could  diveil  the  storm  of 
displeasure  which  had  well-nigh  burst  upon  them  on  the 
occasion.  Had  they  been  all  found  intoxicated  and 
fighting,  they  would  have  created  less  anger  from  those 
who  loved  not  religion.  How  truly  is  it  said  that  '  the 
children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  generation  than 
the  children  of  light,'  Notwithstanding  this  unfortunate 
contretevips,  these  poor  good  men  were  received  by  Mr. 
Martyn  in  his  own  apartment ;  and  a  most  joyful  meeting 
he  had  with  them.  We  did  not  join  the  party,  but  we 
heard  them  singing  and  praying,  and  the  sound  was  very 
bweet.     Mr.  Martyn  then  promised  them  that  when  he  had 


266  HENRY  MARTYN 

got  a  house  he  would  set  aside  a  room  for  them,  where 
they  might  come  every  evening,  adding  he  would  meet 
them  himself  twice  in  the  week.  When  these  assemblies 
were  sanctioned  by  our  ever  kind  Colonel  Mawby,  and  all 
difficulties,  in  short,  overcome,  many  who  had  been  the 
most  zealous  under  persecution  fell  quite  away,  and  never 
returned.  How  can  we  account  for  these  things  ?  Many, 
however,  remained  steadfast  under  evil  report  as  well  as 
good  report,  and  died,  as  they  had  lived,  in  simple  and 
pure  faith. 

I  must  not  omit  another  anecdote  of  Mr.  Martyn, 
which  amused  us  much  at  the  time,  after  we  had  recovered 
the  alarm  attending  it.  The  salary  of  a  chaplain  is  large, 
and  Mr.  Martyn  had  not  drawn  his  for  so  long  a  time,  that 
the  sum  amounted  perhaps  to  some  hundreds.  He  was  to 
receive  it  from  the  collector  at  Cawnpore.  Accordingly 
he  one  morning  sent  a  note  for  the  amount,  confiding  the 
note  to  the  care  of  a  common  coolie,  a  porter  of  low  caste, 
generally  a  very  poor  man.  This  man  went  off,  unknown 
to  Mr.  Sherwood  and  myself,  early  in  the  morning.  The 
day  passed,  the  evening  came,  and  no  coolie  arrived.  At 
length  Mr.  Martyn  said  in  a  quiet  voice  to  us,  '  The  coolie 
does  not  come  with  my  money.  I  was  thinking  this 
morning  how  rich  I  should  be ;  and,  now,  I  should  not 
wonder  in  the  least  if  he  has  not  run  off,  and  taken  my 
treasure  with  him.'  'What  I 'we  exclaimed,  'surely  you 
have  not  sent  a  common  coolie  for  your  pay?'  '  I  have,' 
he  replied.  Of  course  we  could  not  expect  that  it  would 
ever  arrive  safe  ;  for  it  would  be  paid  in  silver,  and  delivered 
to  the  man  in  cotton  bags.  Soon  afterwards,  however,  it  did 
arrive — a  circumstance  at  which  we  all  greatly  marvelled. 

Cawnpore,  of  which  Henry  Martyn  was  chaplain  for 
the  next  two  years,  till  disease  drove  him  from  it,  was  the 
worst  station  to  which  he  could  have  been  sent.  The 
district,  consisting  of  clay  uplands  on  the  Doab  between 


CAWNPORE,  i8c9  1810  267 

the  Ganges  and  the  Jumna  rivers,  which  unite  below  at 
Allahabad,  was  at  that  time  a  comparatively  desolate 
tract,  swept  by  the  hot  winds,  and  always  the  first  to  suffer 
from  drought.  The  great  famine  of  1837  afterwards  so 
destroyed  its  unhappy  peasantry  and  labourers,  that  the 
British  Government  made  its  county  town  one  of  the  two 
terminals  of  the  great  Ganges  canal,  which  the  Marquis  of 
Dalhousie  opened,  and  irrigated  the  district  by  four 
branches  with  their  distributing  channels.  Even  then, 
and  to  this  day,  Cawnpore  has  not  ceased  to  be  a  repulsive 
station.  Its  leather  factories  and  cotton  mills  do  not 
render  it  less  so,  nor  the  memory''  of  the  five  massacres  of 
British  officers,  their  wives  and  children,  by  the  infamous 
Nana  Dhoondoo  Panth,  which  still  seems  to  cover  it  as 
with  a  pall,  notwithstanding  the  gardens  and  the  marble 
screen  inclosing  the  figure  of  the  Angel  of  the  Resurrection 
with  the  palm  of  victory  above  the  Massacre  Well.  The 
people  of  the  town  at  least  have  always  been  disagreeable, 
from  Hindu  discontent  and  Mohammedan  sulkiness. 
The  British  cantonment  used  to  be  at  Bilgram,  on  the 
opposite  bank,  in  the  territory  of  Oudh.  Well  might 
Martyn  write  of  such  a  station  as  Cawnpore  :  '  I  do  not 
like  this  place  at  all,'  although  he  then  enjoyed  the  social 
ministrations  of  the  Sherwoods,  and  was  constant  in  his 
own  service  to  the  Master  among  British  and  natives  alike, 
and  at  his  desk  in  translation  work. 

The  first  use  which  the  chaplain  made  of  his  pay  was 
this,  according  to  Mrs.  Sherwood  :  '  Being  persuaded  by 
some  black  man,  he  bought  one  of  the  most  undesirable 
houses,  to  all  appearance,  which  he  could  have  chosen.' 
But  he  had  chosen  wisely  for  his  daily  duties  of  translation 
and  preaching  to  the  natives. 


268  HENRY  MARTYN 

Mr.  Martyn's  house  was  a  bungalow  situated  between 
the  Sepoy  Parade  and  the  Artillery  Barracks,  but  behind 
that  range  of  principal  bungalows  which  face  the  Parade. 
The  approach  to  the  dwelling  was  called  the  Compound, 
along  an  avenue  of  palm  trees  and  aloes.  A  more  stiff, 
funereal  avenue  can  hardly  be  imagined,  unless  it  might  be 
that  one  of  noted  sphynxes  which  I  have  read  of  as  the 
approach  to  a  ruined  Egyptian  temple.  At  the  end  of  this 
avenue  were  two  bungalows,  connected  by  a  long  passage. 
These  bungalows  were  low,  and  the  rooms  small.  The 
garden  was  prettily  laid  out  with  flowering  shrubs  and 
tali  trees  ;  in  the  centre  was  a  wide  space,  which  at  some 
seasons  was  green,  and  a  chabootra,  or  raised  platform  of 
chunam  (lime),  of  great  extent,  was  placed  in  the  middle 
of  this  space.  A  vast  number  and  variety  of  huts  and 
sheds  formed  one  boundary  of  the  compound  ;  these  were 
concealed  by  the  shrubs.  But  who  would  venture  to  give 
any  account  of  the  heterogeneous  population  which  occupied 
these  buildings  ?  For,  besides  the  usual  complement  of 
servants  found  in  and  about  the  houses  of  persons  of  a 
certain  rank  in  India,  we  must  add  to  Mr.  Martyn's  house- 
hold a  multitude  of  pundits,  moonshis,  schoolmasters, 
and  poor  nominal  Christians,  who  hung  about  him  because 
there  was  no  other  to  give  them  a  handful  of  rice  for  their 
daily  maintenance ;  and  most  strange  was  the  murmur 
which  proceeded  at  times  from  this  ill-assorted  and  dis- 
cordant multitude.  Mr.  Martyn  occupied  the  largest  of 
the  two  bungalows.  He  had  given  up  the  least  to  the 
wife  of  Sabat,  that  wild  man  of  the  desert  whose  extra- 
ordinary history  has  made  so  much  noise  in  the  Christian 
world. 

It  was  a  burning  evening  in  June,  when  after  sunset  I 
accompanied  Mr.  Sherwood  to  Mr.  Martyn's  bungalow,  and 
saw  for  the  first  time  its  avenue  of  palms  and  aloes.  We 
were  conducted  to  the  chabootra,  where  the  company  was 
already  assembled  ;  there  was  no  lady  but  myself     This 


CAWNPORE,  1 809  1 8 10  269 

chahootra  was  many  feet  square,  and  chairs  were  set  for  the 
guests.  A  more  heterogeneous  assembly  surely  had  not  often 
met,  and  seldom,  I  believe,  were  more  languages  in  requisi- 
tion in  so  small  a  party.  Besides  Mr.  Martyn  and  ourselves, 
there  was  no  one  present  who  could  speak  English.  But 
let  me  introduce  each  individual  separately.  Every  feature 
in  the  large  disk  of  Sabat's  face  was  what  we  should  call 
exaggerated.  His  eyebrows  were  arched,  black,  and  strongly 
pencilled  ;  his  eyes  dark  and  round,  and  from  time  to  time 
flashing  with  unsubdued  emotion,  and  ready  to  kindle  into 
flame  on  the  most  trifling  occasion.  His  nose  was  high, 
his  mouth  wide,  his  teeth  large,  and  looked  white  in 
contrast  with  his  bronzed  complexion  and  fierce  black 
mustachios.  He  was  a  large  and  powerful  man,  and 
generally  wore  a  skull-cap  of  rich  shawling,  or  embroidered 
silk,  with  circular  flaps  of  the  same  hanging  over  each 
ear.  His  large,  tawny  throat  and  neck  had  no  other 
covering  than  that  afforded  by  his  beard,  which  was  black. 
His  attire  was  a  kind  of  jacket  of  silk,  with  long  sleeves, 
fastened  by  a  girelle,  or  girdle,  about  his  loins,  to  which 
was  appended  a  jewelled  dirk.  He  wore  loose  trousers, 
and  embroidered  shoes  turned  up  at  the  toes.  In  the  cold 
season  he  threw  over  this  a  wrapper  lined  with  fur,  and 
when  it  was  warmer  the  fur  was  changed  for  silk.  When 
to  this  costume  is  added  ear-rings,  and  sometimes  a  golden 
chain,  the  Arab  stands  before  you  in  his  complete  state  of 
Oriental  dandyism.  This  son  of  the  desert  never  sat  in  a 
chair  without  contriving  to  tuck  up  his  legs  under  him  on 
the  seat,  in  attitude  very  like  a  tailor  on  his  board.  The 
only  languages  which  he  was  able  to  speak  were  Persian, 
Arabic,  and  a  very  little  bad  Hindustani ;  but  what  was 
wanting  in  the  words  of  this  man  was  more  than  made  up 
by  the  loudness  with  which  he  uttered  them,  for  he  had  a 
voice  like  rolling  thunder.  When  it  is  understood  that  loud 
utterance  is  considered  as  an  ingredient  of  respect  in  the 
East,  we  cannot  suppose  that  one  who  had  been  much  in 


270  HENRY  MARTYN 

native   courts  should   think   it   necessary  to  modulate  his 
voice  in  the  presence  of  the  EngHsh  Sahib-log.^ 

'  '  He  was  at  that  time  married  to  his  seventh  wife  ;  that  is,  according  to 
his  own  account.  Ameena  was  a  pretty  young  woman,  though  particularly 
dark  for  a  purdah-walla,  or  one,  according  to  the  Eastern  custom,  who  is 
supposed  always  to  sit  behind  a  purdah,  or  curtain.  She  occupied  the  smaller 
bungalow,  which  adjoined  the  larger  by  a  long,  covered  passage.  Our 
children  often  went  to  see  her  whilst  they  were  at  Mr.  Martyn's,  and  I  paid 
her  one  formal  visit.  I  found  her  seated  on  the  ground,  encircled  by  cushions 
within  gauze  mosquito-curtains,  stretched  by  ropes  from  the  four  corners  of 
the  hall.  In  the  daytime  these  curtains  were  twisted  and  knotted  over  her 
head,  and  towards  the  night  they  were  let  down  around  her,  and  thus  she 
slept  where  she  had  sat  all  day.  She  had  one  or  two  women  in  constant 
attendance  upon  her,  though  her  husband  was  a  mere  subordinate.  These 
Eastern  women  have  little  idea  of  using  the  needle,  and  very  few  are  taught 
any  other  feminine  accomplishment.  Music  and  literature,  dancing  and 
singing,  are  known  only  to  the  Nautch  or  dancing-girls  by  profession. 
Hence,  nothing  on  earth  can  be  imagined  to  be  mo/e  monotonous  than  the 
lives  of  women  in  the  East ;  such,  I  mean,  as  are  not  compelled  to  servile 
labour.  They  sit  on  their  cushions  behind  their  curtains  from  day  to  day, 
from  month  to  month,  with  no  other  occupation  than  that  of  having  their 
hair  dressed,  and  their  nails  and  eyelids  stained,  and  no  other  amusement  than 
hearing  the  gup,  or  gossip  of  the  place  where  they  may  happen  to  be  ;  nor  is 
any  gossip  too  low  or  too  frivolous  to  be  unacceptable.  The  visits  of  our 
children  and  nurses  were  very  acceptable  to  Ameena,  and  she  took  much  and 
tender  notice  of  the  baby.  She  lived  on  miserable  terms  with  her  husband, 
and  hated  him  most  cordially.  She  was  a  Mussulman,  and  he  was  very 
anxious  to  make  her  a  Christian,  to  which  she  constantly  showed  strong 
opposition.  At  length,  however,  she  terminated  the  controversy  in  the 
followini^  extraordinary  manner  :  "  Pray,  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  in- 
form me  where  Christians  go  after  death?"  "To  heaven  and  to  their 
Saviour,"  replied  Sabat.  "And  where  do  Mahometans  go?"  she  asked. 
"  To  hell  and  the  devil,"  answered  the  fierce  Arab.  "  You,"  said  the  meek 
wife,  "will  go  to  heaven,  of  course,  as  being  a  Christian."  "Certainly," 
replied  Sabat.  "  Well,  then,"  she  said,  "  I  will  continue  to  be  a  Mussulman, 
because  I  should  prefer  hell  and  the  devil  without  you,  to  heaven  itself  in 
your  presence."  This  anecdote  was  told  to  Mr.  Martyn  by  Sabat  himself,  as 
a  proof  of  the  hardened  spirit  of  his  wife. 

'  Ameena  was,  by  the  Arab's  own  account,  his  seventh  wife.  He  had  some 
wonderful  story  to  tell  of  each  of  his  former  marriages  ;  but  that  which  he 
related  of  his  sixth  wife  exceeded  all  the  rest  in  the  marvellous  and  the  romantic. 
He  told  this  tale  at  Mr.  Martyn's  table  one  evening,  whilst  we  were  at  supper, 
during  the  week  we  lived  in  the  house.  He  spoke  in  Persian,  and  Mr.  Martyn 
int.-rpreted  what  he  said,  and  it  was  this  he  narrated  :  It  was  on  some  occasion, 


CAIVNPORE,  1 809-1810  271 

The  second  of  Mr.  Martyn's  guests,  whom  I  must 
introduce  as  being  not  a  whit  behind  Sabat  in  his  own 
opinion  of  himself,  was  the  Padre  Julius  Csesar,  an 
Italian  monk  of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits,  a  worthy  disciple 
of  Ignatius  Loyola.  Mr.  Martyn  had  become  acquainted 
with  him  at  Patna,  where  the  Italian  priest  was  not  less 
zealous  and  active  in  making  proselytes  than  the  Company's 
chaplain,  and  probably  much  more  wise  and  subtle  in  his 
movements  than  the  latter.  The  Jesuit  was  a  handsome 
young  man,  and  dressed  in  the  complete  costume  of  the 
monk,  with  his  little  skull-cap,  his  flowing  robes,  and  his 
cord.  The  materials,  however,  of  his  dress  were  very  rich  ; 
his  robe  was  of  the  finest  purple  satin,  and  his  cord  of 
twisted  silk,  and  his  rosary  of  costly  stones,  whilst  his  air 
and  manner  were  extremely  elegant.  He  spoke  French 
fluently,  and  there  Mr.  Sherwood  was  at  home  with  him, 
but  his  native  language  was  Italian.  His  conversation 
with  Mr.  Martyn  was  carried  on  partly  in  Latin  and  partly 
in  Italian.  A  third  guest  was  a  learned  native  of  India,  in 
his  full  and  handsome  Hindustani  costume ;  and  a  fourth 

he  said,  in  which  Fortune  had  played  him  one  of  her  worst  tricks,  and  reduced 
him  to  a  state  of  the  most  abject  poverty,  that  he  happened  to  arrive  one  night 
at  a  certain  city,  which  was  the  capital  of  some  rajah,  or  petty  king — Sabat 
called  this  person  a  king.  It  seemed  he  arrived  at  a  crisis  in  which  the  king's 
only  daughter  had  given  her  father  some  terrible  offence,  and  in  order  to  be 
revenged  upon  her,  the  father  issued  his  commands  that  she  should  be  com 
polled  to  take  for  her  husband  the  first  stranger  who  arrived  in  the  town  after 
sunset.  This  man  happened  to  be  our  Arab ;  he  was  accordingly  seized  and 
subjected  to  the  processes  of  bathing  and  anointing  with  precious  oil.  He 
was  then  magnificently  dressed,  introduced  into  the  royal  hall,  and  duly 
married  to  the  princess,  who  proved  not  only  to  be  fair  as  the  houris,  but  to 
be  quite  prepared  to  love  the  husband  whom  Fortune  had  sent  her.  He  lived 
with  her,  he  pretended,  I  know  not  how  many  years,  and  they  were  perfectly 
happy  until  the  princess  died,  and  he  lost  the  favour  of  his  majesty.  I  think 
that  Sabat  laid  the  scene  of  this  adventure  in  or  near  Agra.  But  this  could 
hardly  be.  Thai  such  things  have  been  in  the  East — that  is,  that  royal  parents 
have  taken  such  means  of  avenging  themselves  on  offending  daughters — is 
quite  certain  ;  but  I  cannot  venture  to  assert  that  Sabat  was  telling  the  truth 
when  he  made  himself  the  hero  of  the  tale.' 


272  HENRY  MARTYN 

a  little,  thin,  copper-coloured,  half-caste  Bengali  gentle- 
man, in  white  nankeen,  who  spoke  only  Bengali.  Mr. 
Sherwood  made  a  fifth,  in  his  scarlet  and  gold  uniform  ; 
myself,  the  only  lady,  was.  the  sixth  ;  and  add  our  host,  Mr. 
Martyn,  in  his  clerical  black  silk  coat,  and  there  is  our 
party.  Most  assuredly  I  never  listened  to  such  a  confusion 
of  tongues  before  or  since.  Such  a  noisy,  perplexing  Babel 
can  scarcely  be  imagined.  Everyone  who  had  acquired 
his  views  of  politeness  in  Eastern  society  was  shouting  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  as  if  he  had  lost  his  fellow  in  a  wood  ; 
and  no  less  than  eight  languages  were  in  constant  request, 
viz.  English,  French,  Italian,  Arabic,  Persian,  Hindustani, 
Bengali,  and  Latin. 

In  order  to  lengthen  out  the  pleasures  of  the  evening, 
we  were  scarcely  seated  before  good  Mr.  Martyn  recollected 
that  he  had  heard  me  say  that  I  liked  a  certain  sort  of 
little  mutton  pattie,  which  the  natives  made  particularly 
well ;  so,  without  thinking  how  long  it  might  take  to  make 
these  same  patties,  he  called  to  a  servant  to  give  orders 
that  mutton  patties  should  be  added  to  the  supper.  I 
heard  the  order,  but  never  dreamed  that  perhaps  the 
mutton  might  not  be  in  the  house.  The  consequence  of 
this  order  was  that  we  sat  on  the  diabootra  till  it  was  quite 
dark,  and  till  I  was  utterly  weary  with  the  confusion. 
No  one  who  has  not  been  in  or  near  the  tropics  can  have 
an  idea  of  the  glorious  appearance  of  the  heavens  in  these 
regions,  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  star-lit  nights,  at  Cawn- 
pore.  Mr.  Martyn  used  often  to  show  me  the  pole-star, 
just  above  the  line  of  the  horizon  ;  and  I  have  seen  the 
moon,  when  almost  new,  looking  like  a  ball  of  ebony  in 
a  silver  cup.  Who  can,  therefore,  be  surprised  that  the 
science  of  astronomy  should  first  have  been  pursued  by 
the  shepherds  who  watched  their  flocks  by  night  in  the 
plains  of  the  South  ?  When  the  mutton  patties  were 
ready,  I  was  handed  by  Mr.  Martyn  into  the  hall  of  the 
bungalow.     Mr.  Martyn  took  the  top  of  the  table,  and 


CAWNPORE,  1809-1810  273 

Sabat  perched  himself  on  a  chair  at  the  bottom.  I  think 
it  was  on  this  day,  when  at  table,  Sabat  was  telling  some 
of  his  own  adventures  to  Mr.  Martyn,  in  Persian,  which 
the  latter  interpreted  to  Mr.  Sherwood  and  myself,  that  the 
wild  Arab  asserted  that  there  were  in  Tartary  and  Arabia 
many  persons  converted  to  Christianity,  and  that  many 
had  given  up  their  lives  for  the  faith.  He  professed  to  be 
himself  acquainted  with  two  of  these,  besides  Abdallah. 
'  One,'  he  said,  '  was  a  relation  of  his  own.'  But  he  gave 
but  small  proof  of  this  man's  sincerity.  This  convert,  if 
such  he  was,  drew  the  attention  of  the  priests  by  a  total 
neglect  of  all  forms  ;  and  this  was  the  more  remarkable 
on  account  of  the  multiplied  forms  of  Islam  ;  for  at  the 
wonted  hour  of  prayer  a  true  Mussulman  must  kneel 
down  and  pray  in  the  middle  of  a  street,  or  between  the 
courses  of  a  feast,  nay,  even  at  the  moment  when  perhaps 
his  hands  might  be  reeking  with  a  brother's  blood.  This 
relative  of  Sabat's,  however,  was,  as  he  remarked,  observed 
to  neglect  all  forms,  and  he  was  called  before  the  heads  of 
his  tribe,  and  required  to  say  wherefore  he  was  guilty  of 
this  offence.  His  answer  was,  *  It  is  nothing.'  He  pro- 
ceeded to  express  himself  as  if  he  doubted  the  very 
existence  of  a  God.  The  seniors  of  the  tribe  told  him 
that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  be  a  Christian  than  an 
atheist ;  adding,  therefore,  '  If  you  do  not  believe  in  our 
prophet  you  must  be  a  Christian  ; '  for  they  wisely  ac- 
counted that  no  man  but  a  fool  could  be  without  some 
religion.  The  man's  reply  was,  that  he  thought  the 
Christian's  a  better  religion  than  that  of  Mahomet  ;  the 
consequence  of  which  declaration  was  that  they  stoned 
him  until  he  died.  The  other  example  which  Sabat  gave 
us  was  of  a  boy  in  Baghdad,  who  was  converted  by  an  Arme- 
nian, and  endeavoured  to  escape,  but  was  pursued,  seized, 
and  offered  pardon  if  he  would  recant ;  but  he  was  preserved 
in  steadfastness  to  the  truth,  and  preferred  death  to  returning 
to  Mahometanism.     His  life  was  required  of  him. 

T 


274  HENRY  MARTYN 

From  the  time  Mr.  Martyn  left  our  house  he  was 
in  the  constant  habit  of  supping  with  us  two  or  three 
times  a  week,  and  he  used  to  come  on  horseback,  with  the 
sais  running  by  his  side.  He  sat  his  horse  as  if  he  were 
not  quite  aware  that  he  was  on  horseback,  and  he 
generally  wore  his  coat  as  if  it  were  falling  from  his 
shoulders.  When  he  dismounted,  his  favourite  place  was 
in  the  verandah,  with  a  book,  till  we  came  in  from  our 
airing.  And  when  we  returned  many  a  sweet  and  long 
discourse  we  had,  whilst  waiting  for  our  dinner  or  supper. 
Mr.  Martyn  often  looked  up  to  the  starry  heavens,  and 
spoke  of  those  glorious  worlds  of  which  we  know  so  little 
now,  but  of  which  we  hope  to  know  so  much  hereafter. 
Often  we  turned  from  the  contemplation  of  these  to  the 
consideration  of  the  smallness,  and  apparent  diminutive- 
ness  in  creation,  of  our  own  little  globe,  and  of  the 
exceeding  love  of  the  Father,  who  so  cared  for  its 
inhabitants  that  He  sent  His  Son  to  redeem  them. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  baptism  of  my  second  Lucy, 
never  can  I  forget  the  solemn  manner  with  which  Mr. 
Martyn  went  through  the  service,  or  the  beautiful  and 
earnest  blessing  he  implored  for  my  baby,  when  he  took 
her  into  his  arms  after  the  service  was  concluded.  I  still 
fancy  I  see  that  child  of  God  as  he  looked  down  tenderly 
on  the  gentle  babe,  and  then  looked  upwards,  asking  of 
his  God  that  grace  and  mercy  for  the  infant  which  he  truly 
accounted  as  the  only  gift  which  parents  ought  to  desire. 
This  babe,  in  infancy,  had  so  peculiar  a  gentleness  of 
aspect,  that  Mr.  Martyn  always  called  her  Serena. 

Little  was  spoken  of  at  Mr.  Martyn's  table  but  of 
various  plans  for  advancing  the  triumphs  of  Christianity. 
Among  the  plans  adopted,  Mr.  Martyn  had,  first  at 
Dinapore  and  then  at  Cawnpore,  established  one  or  two 
schools  for  children  of  the  natives  of  the  lower  caste.  His 
plan  was  to  hire  a  native  schoolmaster,  generally  a  Mussul- 
man, to  appoint  him  a  place,  and  to  pay  him  an  anna 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-18 to  275 

{\ld)  a  head  for  each  boy  whom  he  could  induce  to 
attend  school.  These  boys  the  master  was  to  teach  to 
write  and  read.  It  was  Mr.  Martyn's  great  aim,  and, 
indeed,  the  sole  end  of  his  exertions,  to  get  Christian 
books  into  the  school.  As  no  mention  was  ever  made 
of  proselytism,  there  was  never  any  difficulty  found  in 
introducing  even  portions  of  the  Scripture  itself,  more 
especially  portions  of  the  Old  Testament,  to  the  attention 
of  the  children.  The  books  of  Moses  are  always  very 
acceptable  to  a  Mussulman,  and  Genesis  is  particularly 
interesting  to  the  Hindus.  Mr.  Martyn's  first  school  at 
Cawnpore  was  located  in  a  long  shed,  which  was  on  the 
side  of  the  cavalry  lines.  It  was  the  first  school  of  the 
kind  I  ever  saw.  The  master  sat  at  one  end,  like  a  tailor, 
on  the  dusty  floor ;  and  along  under  the  shed  sat  the 
scholars,  a  pack  of  little  urchins,  with  no  other  clothes  on 
than  a  skull-cap  and  a  piece  of  cloth  round  the  loins. 
These  little  ones  squatted,  like  their  master,  in  the  sand. 
They  had  wooden  imitations  of  slates  in  their  hands,  on 
which,  having  first  written  their  lessons  with  chalk,  they 
recited  them,  a  pleine  gorge,2J~,  the  French  would  say,  being 
sure  to  raise  their  voices  on  the  approach  of  any  European 
or  native  of  note.  Now,  Cawnpore  is  about  one  of  the 
most  dusty  places  in  the  world.  The  Sepoy  lines  are  the 
most  dusty  part  of  Cawnpore ;  and  as  the  little  urchins 
are  always  well  greased,  either  with  cocoanut  oil  or,  in 
failure  thereof,  with  rancid  mustard  oil,  whenever  there 
was  the  slightest  breath  of  air  they  always  looked  as  if 
they  had  been  powdered  all  over  with  brown  powder.  But 
what  did  this  signify  ?  They  would  have  been  equally  dusty 
in  their  own  huts.  In  these  schools  they  were  in  the  way 
of  getting  a  few  ideas  ;  at  all  events,  they  often  got  so  far 
as  to  be  able  to  copy  a  verse  on  their  wooden  slates. 
Afterwards  they  committed  to  memory  what  they  had 
written.  Who  that  has  ever  heard  it  can  forget  the  sounds 
of  the  various  notes  with  which  these  little  people  intonated 

T2 


276  HENRY  MARTYN 

their  'Alcph  Zubbur  ah — Zair  a — Paiche  oh,'  as  they 
waved  backwards  and  forwards  in  their  recitations  ?  Or 
who  can  forget  the  vacant  self-importance  of  the  school- 
master, who  was  generally  a  long  bearded,  dry  old  man, 
who  had  no  other  means  of  proving  his  superiority  over 
the  scholars  but  making  more  noise  than  even  they  could 
do  ?  Such  a  scene,  indeed,  could  not  be  forgotten  ;  but 
would  it  not  require  great  faith  to  expect  anything  green 
to  spring  from  a  soil  so  dry  ?  But  this  faith  was  not 
wanting  to  the  Christians  then  in  India. 

Besides  the  53rd  Regiment,  the  Cavalry  Corps  called  in 
those  days  the  8th  Light  Dragoons,  and  six  companies  of 
Artillery,  were  stationed  at  Cawnpore.  At  the  first  parade 
service,  on  May  15,  1809,  'two  officers  dropped  down  and 
some  of  the  men.  They  wondered  how  I  could  go  through 
the  fatigue,'  wrote  their  new  chaplain,  not  many  days  after 
his  nearly  fatal  palanquin  journey  from  Chunar.  His 
voice  even  reached  the  men  at  the  other  end  of  the  square 
which  they  had  formed.  Above  a  hundred  men  were  in 
hospital,  a  daily  congregation.  Every  night  about  a  dozen 
of  the  soldiers  met  with  him  in  the  house.  Not  only  the 
men  but  the  officers  were  privately  rebuked  by  him  for 
swearing.  Of  the  General  he  writes  :  '  He  has  never  been 
very  cordial,  and  now  he  is  likely  to  be  less  so  ;  though  it 
was  done  in  the  gentlest  way,  he  did  not  seem  to  like  it. 
Were  it  not  to  become  all  things  to  all  men  in  order  to  save 
some,  I  should  never  trouble  them  with  my  company.  But 
how  then  should  I  be  like  Christ }  I  have  been  almost  the 
whole  morning  engaged  in  a  good-humoured  dispute  with 
Mrs.  P.,  who,  in  an  instant  after  my  introduction  to 
her,  opened  all  her  guns  of  wit  and  eloquence  against  me 
for  attempting  to  convert  the  Brahmans.'  A  little  later  he 
writes  of  a   dinner  at   the  brigade-major's  with  the  chief 


CAWNPORE,  1809  1 8 10  277 

persons  of  the  station  :  '  I  could  gain  no  attention  while 
saying  grace  ;  and  the  moment  the  ladies  withdrew  the 
conversation  took  such  a  turn  that  I  was  obliged  to  make 
a  hasty  retreat.  Oh  I  the  mercy  to  have  escaped  their 
evil  ways.' 

The  year  was  one  of  alarms  of  war,  from  which  the 
history  of  our  Indian  Empire  can  rarely  be  free,  surrounded 
as  it  is  by  a  ring-fence  of  frontier  tribes  and  often  aggressive 
States.  But  in  those  days  the  great  internal  conflicts  for 
the  consolidation  of  our  power,  and  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  peoples  exposed  to  anarchy  for  centuries,  were  still  being 
waged.  Marathas,  Sikhs,  and  Goorkhas  had  all  to  be 
pacified  in  1809.  Now  the  infantry  were  being  sent  to  the 
conquest  of  Bundlekhund  and  difficult  siege  of  the  fortress 
of  Kalinjar,  as  old  as  the  Mahabharat  Epic  in  which  it  is 
mentioned.  Now  the  artillery  were  under  orders  to  march 
to  Lodiana  to  check  Ranjeet  Singh.  Now  the  cavalry  were 
sent  off  to  the,  at  first,  fatal  chase  of  the  Goorkhas  by 
Gillespie.  Thus  it  was  that  their  ever-careful  chaplain 
sought  to  prepare  them  for  the  issue  : 

October  20. — Spoke  to  my  men  on  preparation  for  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and  endeavoured  to  prepare  myself  for  the 
ordinance,  by  considering  my  former  life  of  sin,  and  all  my 
unfaithfulness  since  my  call  to  the  Gospel.  My  heart  was, 
as  usual,  insensible  for  a  long  time,  but  at  last  a  gracious 
God  made  me  feel  some  compunction,  and  then  my  feelings 
were  such  as  I  would  wish  they  always  were.  I  resolved 
at  the  time  that  it  should  be  my  special  labour  every  day 
to  obtain,  and  hold  fast,  this  humbling  view  of  my  own 
depravity. 

October  22.  (Sunday.) — Preached  at  sunrise  to  the 
53rd,  on  Acts  xxviii.  29.  At  ten,  about  sixteen  of  the 
regiment,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Sherwood  and  Sabat,  met  in  my 


278  HENRY  MARTYN 

bungalow,  where,  after  a  short  discourse  on  *  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,'  we  commemorated  the  death  of  the  Lord. 
It  was  the  happiezt  season  I  have  yet  had  at  the  Lord's 
Table,  though  my  peace  and  pleasure  were  not  unalloyed  ; 
the  rest  of  the  day  I  felt  weak  in  body,  but  calm  in  mind, 
and  rather  spiritual ;  at  night  I  spoke  to  the  men  on  Rev. 
xxii.  2  ;  the  number  was  double  ;  afterwards  had  some  con- 
versation on  eternal  things,  but  had  reason  to  groan  at  the 
hollow-heartedness  and  coldness  with  which  I  do  my  best 
works. 

November  i8. — At  night  I  took  leave  of  my  beloved 
Church  previous  to  their  departure  for  Bundlekhund  with 
their  regiment.  I  spoke  to  them  from  Gen.  xxviii :  *  I  will 
be  with  thee  in  all  places  whithersoever  thou  goest,*  etc. 
The  poor  men  were  much  affected  ;  they  gave  me  their  wills 
and  watches. 

November  19.  (Sunday.) — Preached  at  sunrise  to  the 
dragoons,  on  John  i.  17  :  '  The  law  was  given  by  Moses.'  At 
eleven  at  head-quarters,  on  Rom.  iii.  19. 

Nowhere  are  eucharistic  seasons  of  communion  so 
precious  as  in  exile,  and  especially  in  the  isolation  of  a 
tropical  station.  Not  unfrequently  in  India,  Christian  people, 
far  separated  from  any  ordained  minister,  and  about  to 
part  from  each  other,  are  compelled,  by  loving  obedience 
to  the  Lord,  to  meet  thus  together.  But  what  joy  it 
must  have  been  to  have  been  ministered  to  at  such  times 
by  one  of  Henry  Martyn's  consecrated  saintliness !  Mrs. 
Sherwood  lingers  over  her  description  of  that  Cawnpore 
service  of  October  22,  1809 — the  long  inner  verandah  of 
the  house,  where  daily  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made,  shut  in 
by  lofty  doors  of  green  lattice-work  ;  the  table,  with  the 
white  cloth  and  all  things  requisite,  at  one  end  ;  hassocks 
on  which  to  kneel,  and  a  high  form  in  front  of  the  table  * 


CAWNPORE,  1809-1810  279 

all  '  decent  and  in  good  order,  according  to  the  forms  of 
the  Church  of  England.'  Still  there  was  no  church 
building.  His  first  parade  service  in  the  hot  winds 
brought  on  fever,  so  that  he  proposed  to  ask  for  the  billiard- 
room,  '  which  is  better  than  the  ball-room,'  but  in  vain. 
His  next  service  was  in  the  riding-school,  but  '  the  efflu- 
vium was  such  as  would  please  only  the  knights  of  the  turf 
What  must  the  Mohammedans  think  of  us?  Well  may 
they  call  us  "  dogs,"  when  even  in  Divine  worship  we  choose 
to  kennel  ourselves  in  such  places.'  The  General  delayed 
to  forward  to  Government  the  proposal  for  a  church. 

Henry  Martyn's  missionary  work  among  the  natives 
became  greatly  extended  at  Cawnpore,  as  his  scrupulous 
conscience  and  delicate  scholarship  allowed  him  to  use  in 
public  the  colloquial  Hindustani,  and  in  conversation  the 
more  classical  Persian.  To  Corrie  he  wrote,  five  months 
after  his  arrival  there  : 

What  will  friends  at  home  think  of  Martyn  and 
Corrie?  They  went  out  full  of  zeal,  but,  behold  !  what  are 
they  doing?  Where  are  their  converts?  They  talked  of 
the  banyan-tree  before  they  went  out;  but  now  they  seem 
to  prefer  a  snug  bungalow  to  field-preaching.  I  fear  I 
should  look  a  little  silly  if  I  were  to  go  home  just  at  this 
time  ;  but  more  because  I  should  not  be  able  to  make 
them  understand  the  state  of  things  than  because  my 
conscience  condemns  me.  Brother,  what  can  you  do  ?  If 
you  itinerate  like  a  European,  you  will  only  frighten  the 
people  ;  if  as  a  native,  you  will  be  dead  in  one  year.  Yet 
the  latter  mode  pleases  me,  and  nothing  would  give  me 
greater  pleasure  than  so  to  live,  with  the  prospect  of  being 
able  to  hold  out  a  few  years. 

Again,  to  an  old  Cambridge  friend  : 

November,   1809. — Respecting  my  heart,  about  which 


28o  HENRY  MARTYN 

you  ask,  I  must  acknowledge  that  H.  Martyn's  heart  at 
Dinapore  is  the  same  as  H.  Martyn's  heart  at  Cambridge. 
The  tenor  of  my  prayer  is  nearly  the  same,  except  on  one 
subject,  the  conversion  of  the  heathen.  At  a  distance  from 
the  scene  of  action,  and  trusting  too  much  to  the  highly- 
coloured  description  of  missionaries,  my  heart  used  to 
expand  with  rapture  at  the  hope  of  seeing  thousands  of  the 
natives  melting  under  the  Word  as  soon  as  it  should  be 
preached  to  them.  Here  I  am  called  to  exercise  faith — 
that  so  it  shall  one  day  be.  My  former  feelings  on  this 
subject  were  more  agreeable,  and  at  the  same  time  more 
according  with  the  truth  ;  for  if  we  believe  the  prophets, 
the  scenes  that  time  shall  unfold,  '  though  surpassing  fable, 
are  yet  true.'  While  I  write,  hope  and  joy  spring  up  in 
my  mind.  Yes,  it  shall  be ;  yonder  stream  of  Ganges 
shall  one  day  roll  through  tracts  adorned  with  Christian 
churches,  and  cultivated  by  Christian  husbandmen,  and  the 
holy  hymn  be  heard  beneath  the  shade  of  the  tamarind. 
All  things  are  working  together  to  bring  on  the  day,  and 
my  part  in  the  blessed  plan,  though  not  at  first  exactly 
consonant  to  my  wishes,  is,  I  believe,  appointed  me  by 
God.  To  translate  the  Word  of  God  is  a  work  of  more 
lasting  benefit  than  my  preaching  would  be.  But,  besides 
that,  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  my  strength  for  public 
preaching  is  almost  gone.  My  ministrations  among  the 
Europeans  at  this  station  have  injured  my  lungs,  and  I  am 
now  obliged  to  lie  by  except  on  the  Sabbath  days,  and 
once  or  twice  in  the  week.  .  .  .  However,  I  am  sufficiently 
aware  of  my  important  relations  to  the  natives,  and  am 
determined  not  to  strain  myself  any  more  for  the 
Europeans.  This  rainy  season  has  tried  my  constitution 
severely.  The  first  attack  was  with  spasms,  under  which  I 
fainted.  The  second  was  a  fever,  from  which  a  change  of 
air,  under  God,  recovered  me.  There  is  something  in  the* 
air  at  the  close  of  the  rains  so  unfavourable,  that  public 
speaking  at  that  time  is  a  violent  strain  upon  the  whole 


CAWNPORE,  1809  1810  281 

body,  Corrie  passed  down  a  few  weeks  ago  to  receive  his 
sister.  We  enjoyed  much  refreshing  communion  in  prayer 
and  conversation  on  our  dear  friends  at  and  near  Cambridge, 
and  found  pecuh'ar  pleasure  in  the  minutest  circumstances 
we  could  recollect  about  you  all. 

At  Cawnpore,  in  front  of  his  house,  he  began  his 
wonderful  preaching  to  the  native  beggars  and  ascetics  of  all 
kinds,  W'mdoo  j'ogees  and  Mohammedan /a/'^^rj-,  the  blind 
and  the  deaf,  the  maimed  and  the  halt,  the  diseased  and 
the  dying,  the  impostor  and  the  truly  needy.  These  classes 
had  soon  found  out  the  sympathetic  padre-sahib,  and  to 
secure  peace  he  seems  to  have  organised  a  weekly  dole  of 
an  anna  each  or  of  rice. 

He  wrote  to  Corrie  : 

I  feel  unhappy,  not  because  I  do  nothing,  but  because 
I  am  not  willing  to  do  my  duty.  The  flesh  must  be 
mortified,  and  I  am  reluctant  to  take  up  the  cross.  Sabat 
said  to  me  yesterday,  '  Your  beggars  are  come :  why  do  not 
you  preach  to  them  .-*  It  is  your  duty.'  I  made  excuses  ; 
but  why  do  not  I  preach  to  them  .-*  My  carnal  spirit  says 
that  I  have  been  preaching  a  long  time  without  success  to 
my  servants,  who  are  used  to  my  tongue  ;  what  can  I 
expect  from  them — the  very  dregs  of  the  people  ?  But  the 
true  cause  is  shame :  I  am  afraid  of  exposing  myself  to 
the  contempt  of  Sabat,  my  servants,  and  the  mob,  by 
attempting  to  speak  in  a  language  which  I  do  not  speak 
well.  To-day  in  prayer,  one  consideration  has  been  made 
of  some  power  in  overcoming  this  shameful  backward- 
ness : — these  people,  if  I  neglect  to  speak  to  them,  will 
give  me  a  look  at  the  last  day  which  may  fill  me  with 
horror.     Alas  !  brother,  where  is  my  zeal .-" 

December  17.  (Sunday.) — Preached  to  H.M.  Light 
Dragoons  on  Rev.  iii.  20  :  '  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 


282  HENRY  MARTYN 

knock,'  etc.  There  was  great  attention.  In  the  afternoon 
the  beggars  came,  to  the  number  of  above  four  hundred, 
and,  by  the  help  of  God,  I  determined  to  preach  to  them, 
though  I  felt  as  if  I  were  leading  to  execution.  I  stood 
upon  the  cJiabootra  in  front  of  which  they  were  collected. 

To  Corrie  he  thus  described  his  talks  with  his  'con- 
gregation of  the  poor ' : 

I  went  without  fear,  trusting  to  myself,  and  not  to  the 
Lord,  and  accordingly  I  was  put  to  shame — that  is,  I  did 
not  read  half  as  well  as  the  preceding  days.  I  shuffled 
and  stammered,  and  indeed  I  am  persuaded  that  there 
were  many  sentences  the  poor  things  did  not  understand 
at  all.  I  spoke  of  the  dry  land,  rivers,  etc. ;  here  I 
mentioned  Gunga,  '  a  good  river,'  but  there  were  others  as 
good.  God  loves  Hindus,  but  does  He  not  love  others 
also?  He 'gave  them  a  good  river,  but  to  others  as  good. 
All  are  alike  before  God.  This  was  received  with  applause. 
On  the  work  of  the  fourth  day,  '  Thus  sun  and  moon  are 
lamps.  Shall  I  worship  a  candle  in  my  hand  ?  As  a 
candle  in  the  house,  so  is  the  sun  in  the  sky.'  Applause 
from  the  Mohammedans.  There  were  also  hisses,  but 
whether  these  betokened  displeasure  against  me  or  the 
worship  of  the  sun  I  do  not  know.  I  then  charged  them 
to  worship  Gunga  and  sun  and  moon  no  more,  but  the 
honour  they  used  to  give  to  them,  henceforward  to  give  to 
God  their  Maker.  Who  knows  but  even  this  was  a  blow 
struck,  at  least  a  branch  lopped  from  the  tree  of  heathenism  ? 
The  number  was  about  550.  You  need  not  be  deterred, 
dear  brother,  if  this  simple  way  of  teaching  do  any  good. 

Again : 

I  spoke  on  the  corruption  of  human  nature,  *  The  Lord 
saw  that  every  imagination,'  etc.  In  the  application  I 
said,  '  Hence  all  outward  works  are  useless  while  the  heart 
remains  in  this  state.     You  may  wash  in  Gunga,  but  the 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  283 

heart  is  not  washed.'  Some  old  men  shook  their  heads,  in 
much  the  same  way  as  we  do  when  seriously  affected  with 
any  truth.  The  number  was  about  seven  hundred.  The 
servants  told  me  it  was  nonsense  to  give  them  all  rice,  as 
they  were  not  all  poor ;  hundreds  of  them  are  working 
people ;  among  them  was  a  whole  row  of  Brahmins.  I 
spoke  to  them  about  the  Flood  ;  this  was  interesting,  as 
they  were  very  attentive,  and  at  the  end  said,  '  Shabash 
wa  wa '  (Well  said). 

Mrs.  Sherwood  pictures  the  scene  after  an  almost 
pathetic  fashion ; 

We  went  often  on  the  Sunday  evenings  to  hear  the 
addresses  of  Mr.  Martyn  to  the  assembly  of  mendicants, 
and  we  generally  stood  behind  him.  On  these  occasions 
we  had  to  make  our  way  through  a  dense  crowd,  with  a 
temperature  often  rising  above  92°,  whilst  the  sun  poured 
its  burning  rays  upon  us  through  a  lurid  haze  of  dust. 
Frightful  were  the  objects  which  usually  met  our  eyes  in 
this  crowd  :  so  many  monstrous  and  diseased  limbs,  and 
hideous  faces,  were  displayed  before  us,  and  pushed  forward 
for  our  inspection,  that  I  have  often  made  my  way  to  the 
chabootra  with  my  eyes  shut,  whilst  Mr.  Sherwood  led 
me.  On  reaching  the  platform  I  was  surrounded  by  our 
own  people,  and  yet  even  there  I  scarcely  dared  to  look 
about  me.  I  still  imagine  that  I  hear  the  calm,  distinct, 
and  musical  tones  of  Henry  Martyn,  as  he  stood  raised 
above  the  people,  endeavouring,  by  showing  the  purity  of 
the  Divine  law,  to  convince  the  unbelievers  that  by  their 
works  they  were  all  condemned  ;  and  that  this  was  the 
case  of  every  man  of  the  offspring  of  Adam,  and  they 
therefore  needed  a  Saviour  who  was  both  willing  and  able 
to  redeem  them.  From  time  to  time  low  murmurs  and 
curses  would  arise  in  the  distance,  and  then  roll  forward, 
till  they  became  so  loud  as  to  drown  the  voice  of  this  pious 
one,  generally  concluding  with  hissings  and  fierce  cries. 


284  HENRY  MARTYN 

But  when  the  storm  passed  away,  again  might  he  be  heard 
going  on  where  he  had  left  off,  in  the  same  calm,  steadfast 
tone,  as  if  he  were  incapable  of  irritation  from  the  inter- 
ruption. Mr.  Martyn  himself  assisted  in  giving  each  person 
his  pice  (copper)  after  the  address  was  concluded  ;  and  when 
he  withdrew  to  his  bungalow  I  have  seen  him  drop,  almost 
fainting,  on  a  sofa,  for  he  had,  as  he  often  said,  even  at 
that  time,  a  slow  inflammation  burning  in  his  chest,  and  one 
which  he  knew  must  eventually  terminate  his  existence. 
In  consequence  of  this  he  was  usually  in  much  pain  after 
any  exertion  of  speaking. 

No  dreams  nor  visions  excited  in  the  delirium  of  a 
raging  fever  can  surpass  these  realities.  These  devotees 
vary  in  age  and  appearance  :  they  are  young  and  old,  male 
and  female,  bloated  and  v/izened,  tall  and  short,  athletic 
and  feeble  ;  some  clothed  with  abominable  rags  ;  some 
nearly  without  clothes  ;  some  plastered  with  mud  and  cow- 
dung  ;  others  with  matted,  uncombed  locks  streaming 
down  to  their  heels  ;  others  with  heads  bald  or  scabby, 
every  countenance  being  hard  and  fixed,  as  it  were,  by  the 
continual  indulgence  of  bad  passions,  the  features  having 
become  exaggerated,  and  the  lips  blackened  with  tobacco, 
or  blood-red  with  the  juice  of  the  henna.  But  these  and 
such  as  these  form  only  the  general  mass  of  the  people ; 
there  are  among  them  still  more  distinguished  monsters. 
One  little  man  generally  comes  in  a  small  cart  drawn  by  a 
bullock  ;  his  body  and  limbs  are  so  shrivelled  as  to  give, 
with  his  black  skin  and  large  head,  the  appearance  of  a 
gigantic  frog.  Another  has  his  arm  fixed  above  his  head, 
the  nail  of  the  thumb  piercing  through  the  palm  of  the 
hand  ;  another,  and  a  very  large  man,  has  his  ribs  and  the 
bones  of  his  face  externally  traced  with  white  chalk,  which, 
striking  the  eye  in  relief  above  the  dark  skin,  makes  him 
appear,  as  he  approaches,  like  a  moving  skeleton.  When 
Mr.  Martyn  collected  these  people  he  was  most  carefully 
watched  by  the  British  authorities. 


CAWNPORE,  1809-1810  285 

Shall  anyone  say  that  the  missionary  chaplain's  eighteen 
months'  work  among  this  mixed  multitude  of  the  poor 
and  the  dishonest  was  as  vain  as  he  himself,  in  his  humility, 
feared  that  it  was?  'Greater  works'  than  His  own  were 
what  the  Lord  of  Glory,  who  did  like  service  to  man  in 
the  Syria  of  that  day,  promised  to  His  believing  followers. 

On  the  wall  which  enclosed  his  compound  was  a  kiosk, 
from  which  some  young  Mussulman  idlers  used  to  look  down 
on  the  preacher,  as  they  smoked  their  hookahs  and  sipped 
their  sherbet.  One  Sunday, determined  to  hear  as  well  as  see, 
that  they  might  the  more  evidently  scoff,  they  made  their 
way  through  the  crowd,  and  with  the  deepest  scorn  took 
their  place  in  the  very  front.  They  listened  in  a  critical 
temper,  made  remarks  on  what  they  heard,  and  returned 
to  the  kiosk.  But  there  was  one  who  no  longer  joined  in 
their  jeering.  Sheikh  Saleh,  born  at  Delhi,  Persian  and 
Arabic  moonshi  of  Lucknow,  then  keeper  of  the  King  of 
Oudh's  jewels,  was  a  Mussulman  so  zealous  that  he  had 
persuaded  his  Hindu  servant  to  be  circumcised.  But  he 
was  afterwards  horrified  by  the  treachery  and  the  atrocities 
of  his  co-religionists  in  the  Rajpoot  State  of  Joudhpore, 
whither  he  had  gone.  He  was  on  his  way  back  to  his 
father  at  Lucknow  when,  on  a  heart  thus  prepared,  there 
fell  the  teaching  of  the  English  man  of  God  as  to  the 
purity  of  the  Divine  law  and  salvation  from  sin  by  Jesus 
Christ. 

Eager  to  learn  more  of  Christianity  from  its  au- 
thoritative records,  he  sought  employment  on  the  trans- 
lating staff  of  the  preacher,  through  a  friend  who  knew 
Sabat.  He  was  engaged  to  copy  Persian  manuscripts  by 
that  not  too  scrupulous  tyrant,  without  the  knowledge 
of  Martyn   or  any   of  the    English.      On    receiving   the 


286  HENRY  MARTYN 

completed  Persian  New  Testament,  to  have  it  bound,  he  read 
it  all,  and  his  conversion  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  its  Author, 
was  complete.  He  determined  to  attach  himself  to  Martyn, 
who  as  yet  knew  him  not  personally.  He  followed  him  to 
Calcutta,  and  applied  to  him  for  baptism.  After  due  trial 
during  the  next  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  Church  under 
the  new  name  of  '  Bondman  of  Christ,'  Abdool  Massee'h. 
This  was  almost  the  last  act  of  the  Rev.  David  Brown,  who 
since  1775  had  spent  his  life  in  diffusing  Christian  knowledge 
in  Bengal.  Abdool's  conversion  caused  great  excitement  in 
Lucknow.  Nor  was  this  all.  The  new  convert  was  sent 
to  Meerut,  when  Mr.  Parson  was  chaplain  in  that  great 
military  station,  and  there  he  won  over  the  chief  physician 
of  the  Rajah  of  Bhurtpore,  naming  him  Taleb  Massee'h. 
After  preaching  and  disputing  in  Meerut,  Abdool  visited 
the  Begum  Sumroo's  principality  of  Sardhana,  where  he 
left  Taleb  to  care  for  the  native  Christians.  They  and 
the  Sherwoods  together  were  the  means  of  calling  and 
preparing  several  native  converts  for  baptism,  all  tKe  fruit, 
direct  and  indirect,  of  Henry  Martyn  s  combined  translating 
and  preaching  of  the  New  Testament  at  Cawnpore. 
Mrs.  Sherwood  writes  : 

We  were  told  that  Mr.  Corrie  might  perhaps  be  unable 
to  come  as  far  as  Delhi,  and  the  candidates  for  baptism 
became  so  anxious  that  they  set  off  to  meet  him-  on  the 
Delhi  road.  We  soon  heard  of  their  meeting  from  Mr, 
Corrie  himself,  and  that  he  was  pleased  with  them.  Shortly 
afterwards  our  beloved  friend  appeared,  with  tents,  camels, 
and  elephants,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of  having  his 
largest  tent  pitched  in  our  compound,  for  we  had  not  room 
for  all  his  suite  within  the  house.  Then  for  the  next  week 
our  house  and  grounds  brought  to  my  mind  what  I  had 
often  fancied  of  a  scene  in  some  high  festival  in  Jerusalem ; 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  287 

but  ours  was  an  assembly  under  a  fairer,  brighter  dispensa- 
tion. '  Here  we  are,'  said  Mr.  Corrie, '  poor  weary  pilgrims  ; ' 
and  he  applied  the  names  of  '  Christian  '  and  '  Mercy  '  to  his 
wife  and  an  orphan  girl  who  was  with  them.  Dear  Mr. 
Corrie !  perhaps  there  never  was  a  man  so  universally 
beloved  as  he  was.  Wherever  he  was  known,  from  the 
lisping  babe  who  climbed  upon  his  knee  to  the  hoary- 
headed  native,  he  was  regarded  as  a  bright  example  of 
Christian  charity  and  humility.  On  Sunday,  January  31, 
the  baptism  of  all  the  converts  but  one  took  place.  Num- 
bers of  Europeans  from  different  quarters  of  the  station 
attended.  The  little  chapel  was  crowded  to  overflowing, 
and  most  affecting  indeed  was  the  sight.  Few  persons 
could  restrain  their  tears  when  Mr.  Corrie  extended  his 
hand  to  raise  the  silver  curls  which  clustered  upon  the  brow 
of  Monghul  Das,  one  of  the  most  sincere  of  the  converts. 
The  ceremony  was  very  affecting,  and  the  convert,  who 
stood  by  and  saw  the  others  baptized,  became  so  uneasy 
that,  when  Mr.  Corrie  set  off  to  return,  he  followed  him. 
For  family  reasons  this  man's  baptism  had  been  deferred, 
as  he  hoped  by  so  doing  to  bring  others  of  his  family  into 
the  Church  of  God. 

How  delightfully  passed  that  Sunday  ! — how  sweet  was 
our  private  intercourse  with  Mr.  Corrie  !  He  brought  our 
children  many  Hindustani  hymns,  set  to  ancient  Oriental 
melodies,  which  they  were  to  sing  at  the  Hindu  services, 
and  we  all  together  sang  a  hymn,  which  I  find  in  my  Journal 
designated  by  this  title  : 

*We  Have  Seen  His  Star  in  The  East* 
In  Britain's  land  of  light  my  mind 
To  Jesus  and  His  love  was  blind, 
Till,  wandering  midst  the  heathen  far, 
Lo  in  the  East  I  saw  His  star. 
Oh,  should  my  steps,  which  distant  roam, 
Attain  once  more  my  native  shore, 
Better  than  India's  wealth  by  far, 
I'll  speak  the  worth  of  Bethlehem's  star. 


288  HENRY  MARTYN 

There  is  little  merit  in  the  composition  of  this  hymn  ; 
but  it  had  a  peculiar  interest  for  us  at  that  time,  and  the 
sentiment  which  it  professes  must  ever  retain  its  interest. 

Long  after  this  the  good  seed  of  the  Kingdom,  as  sown 
by  Henry  Martyn,  continued  to  bear  fruit,  which  in  its 
turn  propagated  itself  In  1816  there  came  to  Corrie  in 
Calcutta,  for  further  instruction,  from  Bareilly,  a  young 
Mohammedan  ascetic  and  teacher  who,  at  seventeen,  had 
abandoned  Hinduism,  seeking  peace  of  mind.  He  fell 
in  with  Martyn's  Hindustani  Nev/  Testament,  and  was 
baptized  under  the  new  name  of  Fuez  Massee'h.  Under 
somewhat  similar  circumstances  Noor  Massee'h  was  bap- 
tized at  Agra.  The  missionary  labours  of  Martyn  at 
Cawnpore,  followed  up  by  Corrie  there  and  at  Agra  soon 
after,  farther  resulted  in  the  baptism  there  of  seventy-one 
Hindus  and  Mohammedans,  of  whom  fifty  were  adults. 
All  of  these,  save  seven,  remained  steadfast,  and  many 
became  missionaries  in  their  turn.  The  career  of  Abdool 
Massee'h  closed  in  1827,  after  he  had  been  ordained  in 
the  Calcutta  cathedral  by  Bishop  Heber,  who  loved  him. 
His  last  breath  was  spent  in  singing  the  Persian  hymn, 
translated  thus  : 

Beloved  Saviour,  let  not  me 

In  Thy  kind  heart  forgotten  be  ! 

Of  all  that  deck  the  field  or  bower, 

Thou  art  the  sweetest,  fairest  flower  ! 

Youth's  morn  has  fled,  old  age  comes  on, 
But  sin  distracts  my  soul  alone  ; 
Beloved  Saviour,  let  not  me 
In  Thy  kind  heart  forgotten  be. 

As  from  Dinapore  Martyn  sought  out  the  moulvies  of 
Patna,  so  from  Cawnpore  he  found  his  way  to  Lucknow 


CAWNPORE,  1809  1 8 lo  289 

There,  after  he  had  baptized  a  child  of  the  Governor- 
General's  Resident,  he  met  the  Nawab  Saadut  AH,  and 
his  eyes  for  the  first  time  beheld  one  who  had  full  power 
of  life  and  death  over  his  subjects.  He  visited  the 
moulvies,  at  the  tomb  of  Asaf-ood-Dowla,  who  were 
employed  to  read  the  Koran  constantly.  *  With  them  I 
tried  my  strength,  of  course,  and  disputed  for  an  hour ;  it 
ended  in  their  referring  me  for  an  answer  to  another.' 

Toil  such  as  Martyn's,  physical  and  mental,  in  successive 
hot  seasons,  in  such  hospitals  and  barracks  as  then  killed 
off  the  British  troops  and  their  families,  and  without  a  decent 
church  building,  would  have  sacrificed  the  healthiest  in  a 
few  years.  Corrie  had  to  flee  from  it,  or  he  would  never 
have  lived  to  be  the  first  and  model  Bishop  of  Madras.  But 
such  labours,  such  incessant  straining  of  the  voice  through 
throat  and  lungs,  acting  on  his  highly  neurotic  constitution, 
and  the  phthisical  frame  which  he  inherited  from  his 
mother,  became  possible  to  Henry  Martyn  only  because 
he  willed,  he  agonised,  to  live  till  he  should  give  at  least 
the  New  Testament  to  the  peoples  of  Arabia  and  Persia, 
and  to  the  Mohammedans  of  India,  in  their  own  tongues. 
We  see  him  in  his  Journal,  before  God,  spiritually  spurring 
the  sides  of  his  intent  day  by  day,  and  running  like  the 
noble  Arab  horse  till  it  drops — its  object  gained.  He  had 
many  warnings,  and  if  he  had  had  a  wife  to  see  that  he 
obeyed  the  voice  of  Providence  he  might  have  outlived  his 
hereditary  tendency  in  such  a  tropical  climate  as  that  of 
India — a  fact  since  proved  by  experience.  He  had  narrowly 
escaped  death  at  Dinapore  a  few  months  before,  and  he 
knew  it.  But  it  is  well  that,  far  more  frequently  than  the 
world  knows,  such  cases  occur  in  the  missionary  fields  of 
the  world.    The  Brainerds  and  the  Martyns,  the  Pattesons 

U 


290  HENRY  MARTYN 

and  the  Hanningtons,  the  Keith-Falconers  and  the 
Mackays — to  mention  some  of  the  dead  only — have  their 
reward  in  calling  hundreds  to  fill  their  places,  not  less  than 
the  Careys  and  the  Livingstones,  the  Duffs  and  the 
Wilsons,  the  Frenches  and  the  Cald wells.  To  all  who 
know  the  tropics,  and  especially  the  seasons  of  India,  the 
dates  that  follow  are  eloquent 

1 809,  AT  ay  29. — The  East  has  been  long  forsaken  of  God, 
and  depravity  in  consequence  more  thoroughly  wrought 
into  them.  I  have  been  very  ill  all  this  week,  the  disorder 
appearing  in  the  form  of  an  intermittent.  In  the  night 
cold  sweats,  and  for  about  five  hours  in  the  day  headache 
and  vertigo.  Last  night  I  took  some  medicine,  and 
think  that  I  am  better,  though  the  time  when  the  fever  has 
generally  come  on  is  not  yet  arrived.  But  I  hardly  know 
how  to  be  thankful  enough  for  this  interval  of  ease. 

September  25. — Set  out  at  three  in  the  morning  for 
Currah,  and  reached  it  on  the  26th  in  the  morning,  and 
married  a  Miss  K.  to  Mr.  R. ;  the  company  was  very 
unpleasant,  so  after  passing  the  night  there,  I  set  out  and 
travelled  all  day  and  night,  and  through  Divine  mercy 
arrived  at  home  again  on  the  28th,  but  excessively  fatigued, 
indeed  almost  exhausted.  At  night  with  the  men,  my 
whole  desire  was  to  lie  low  in  the  dust  '  Thou  hast  left 
thy  first  love,'  on  which  I  spoke,  was  an  awful  call  to  me, 
and  I  trust  in  God  I  shall  ever  feel  it  so. 

November  19. — Received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Simeon, 
mentioning  Sarah's  illness  ;  consumption  has  seized  her,  as 
it  did  my  mother  and  sister,  and  will  carry  her  off  as  it  did 
them,  and  now  I  am  the  only  one  left  Oh,  my  dear  Corrie, 
though  I  know  you  are  well  prepared,  how  does  nature 
bleed  at  the  thought  of  a  beloved  sister's  drooping  and 
dying !  Yet  still  to  see  those  whom  I  love  go  before  me, 
without  so  much  as  a  doubt  of  their  going  to  glory,  will, 


CAWNPORE,  1809  1 8 lo  291 

I  hope,  soothe  my  sorrow.  How  soon  shall  I  follow?  I 
know  it  must  be  soon.  The  paleness  and  fatigue  I  exhibit 
after  every  season  of  preaching  show  plainly  that  death  is 
settled  in  my  lungs. 

1 8 10,  April  g. — From  the  labours  of  yesterday,  added 
to  constant  conversation  and  disagreement  with  visitors 
to-day,  I  was  quite  exhausted,  and  my  chest  in  pain. 

April  10. — My  lungs  still  so  disordered  that  I  could 
not  meet  my  men  at  night. 

April  1 5.  (Sunday.) — Preached  to  the  Dragoons  on  the 
parable  of  the  pounds.  At  the  General's  on  Luke  xxii  22. 
With  the  native  congregation  I  strained  myself  greatly 
in  order  to  be  heard,  and  to  this  I  attribute  the  injury  I 
did  myself  to-day.  Attempted  the  usual  service  with  my 
men  at  night,  but  after  speaking  to  th^m  from  a  passage  in 
Scripture,  was  obliged  to  leave  them  before  prayer. 

April  16. — Imprudently  joined  in  conversation  with 
some  dear  Christian  friends  to-night,  and  talked  a  great 
deal  ;  the  pain  in  the  chest  in  consequence  returned. 

May  12. — This  evening  thrown  with  great  violence 
from  my  horse :  while  he  was  in  full  gallop,  the  saddle 
came  off,  but  I  received  no  other  injury  but  contusion. 
Thus  a  gracious  Providence  preserves  me  in  life.  But 
for  His  kindness  I  had  been  now  dragging  out  a  wretched 
existence  in  pain,  and  my  blessed  work  interrupted  for 
years  perhaps. 

Henry  Martyn  was  too  absorbed  in  the  higher  life  at 
all  times  to  be  trusted  in  riding  or  driving.  Mrs.  Sherwood 
writes  : 

I  often  went  out  with  him  in  his  gig,  when  he  used  to 
call  either  for  me  or  Miss  Corrie,  and  whoever  went  with 
him  went  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  He  never  looked 
where  he  was  driving,  but  went  dashing  through  thick  and 
thin,  being  always  occupied  in  reading  Hindustani  byword 
of  mouth,  or  discussing  some  text  of  Scripture.     I  certainly 

u  2 


292  HENRY  MARTYN 

never  expected  to  have  survived  a  lesson  he  gave  me  in 
his  gig,  in  the  midst  of  the  plain  at  Cawnpore,  on  the 
pronunciation  of  one  of  the  Persian  letters. 

All  through  his  Cawnpore  life,  also,  the  wail  of  dis- 
appointed love  breaks  from  time  to  time.  On  Christmas 
day,  1809,  he  received,  through  David  Brown  as  usual,  a 
letter  '  from  Lydia,  containing  a  second  refusal  ;  so  now  I 
have  done.'  On  March  23,1810,  Mr.  Steven's  letter  reached 
him,  reporting  the  death  of  his  last  sister.  '  She  was  my 
dear  counsellor  and  guide  for  a  long  time  in  the  Christian 
way,  I  have  not  a  relation  left  to  whom  I  feel  bound  by 
ties  of  Christian  fellowship,  and  I  am  resolved  to  form  no 
new  connection  of  a  worldly  nature,  so  that  I  may  hence- 
forward hope  to  live  entirely,  as  a  man  of  another  world.' 
Meanwhile  he  has  received  Lydia  Grenfell's  sisterly  offer, 
to  which  he  thus  replies  in  the  first  of  eleven  letters,  to  one 
who  had  sunk  the  lover  in  the  Christian  friend,  as  was 
possible  to  two  hearts  so  far  separated  and  never  to  meet 
again  in  this  world.     But  she  was  still  his  *  dearest.' 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Cawnpore  :  March  30,  1 8 10. 

Since  you  kindly  bid  me,  my  beloved  friend,  consider 
you  in  the  place  of  that  dear  sister  whom  it  has  pleased 
God  in  His  wisdom  to  take  from  me,  I  gratefully  accept 
the  offer  of  a  correspondence,  which  it  has  ever  been  the 
anxious  wish  of  my  heart  to  establish.  Your  kindness  is 
the  more  acceptable,  because  it  is  shown  in  the  day  of 
affliction.  Though  I  had  heard  of  my  dearest  sister's 
illness  some  months  before  I  received  the  account  of  her 
death,  and  though  the  nature  of  her  disorder  was  such  as 
left  me  not  a  ray  of  hope,  so  that  I  was  mercifully  pre- 
pared for  the  event,  still  the  certainty  of  it  fills  me  with 
anguish.     It  is  not  that  she  has  left  me,  for  I  never  ex- 


CAWNPORE,  1809-1810  293 

pected  to  see  her  more  on  earth.  I  have  no  doubt  of 
meeting  her  in  heaven,  but  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  the 
pangs  of  dissolution  she  underwent,  which  have  been 
unfortunately  detailed  to  me  with  too  much  particularity. 
Would  that  I  had  never  heard  them,  or  could  efface  them 
from  my  remembrance.  But  oh,  may  I  learn  what  the  Lord 
is  teaching  me  by  these  repeated  strokes !  May  I  learn 
meekness  and  resignation.  May  the  world  always  appear 
as  vain  as  it  does  now,  and  my  own  continuance  in  it  as 
short  and  uncertain.  How  frightful  is  the  desolation  which 
Death  makes,  and  how  appalling  his  visits  when  he  enters 
one's  family.  I  would  rather  never  have  been  born  than  be 
born  and  die,  were  it  not  for  Jesus,  the  Prince  of  life,  the 
Resurrection  and  the  Life.  How  inexpressibly  precious  is 
this  Saviour  when  eternity  seems  near !  I  hope  often  to 
communicate  with  you  on  these  subjects,  and  in  return  for 
your  kind  and  consolatory  letters  to  send  you,  from  time 
to  time,  accounts  of  myself  and  my  proceedings.  Through 
you  I  can  hear  of  all  my  friends  in  the  West.  When  I 
first  heard  of  the  loss  I  was  likely  to  suffer,  and  began  to 
reflect  on  my  own  friendless  situation,  3^ou  were  much  in 
my  thoughts,  whether  you  would  be  silent  on  this  occasion 
or  no .''  whether  you  would  persist  in  your  resolution  .'' 
Friends  indeed  I  have,  and  brethren,  blessed  be  God  !  but 
two  brothers  '  cannot  supply  the  place  of  one  sister.  When 
month  after  month  passed  away,  and  no  letter  came  from 
you,  I  almost  abandoned  the  hope  of  ever  hearing  from 
you  again.  It  only  remained  to  wait  the  result  of  my  last 
application  through  Emma.  You  have  kindly  anticipated 
my  request,  and,  I  need  scarcely  add,  are  more  endeared  to 
me  than  ever. 

Of  your  illness,  my  dearest  Lydia,  I  had  heard  nothing, 
and  it  was  well  for  me  that  I  did  not. — Yours  most 
affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 

•  Corrie  and  Brown. 


294  HENRY  MARTYN 

To  David  Brown  he  wrote,  '  My  long-lost  Lydia  con- 
sents to  write  to  me  again  ; '  and  in  three  weeks  he  thus 
addresses  to  Lydia  herself  again  a  letter  of  exquisite 
tenderness : 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Cawnpore  :  April  19,  1810. 

I  begin  my  correspondence  with  my  beloved  Lydia, 
not  without  a  fear  of  its  being  soon  to  end.  Shall  I  venture 
to  tell  you  that  our  family  complaint  has  again  made  its 
appearance  in  me,  with  more  unpleasant  symptoms  than  it 
has  ever  yet  done  ?  However,  God,  who  two  years  ago 
redeemed  my  life  from  destruction,  may  again,  for  His 
Church's  sake,  interpose  for  my  deliverance.  Though,  alas  ! 
what  am  I  that  my  place  should  not  instantly  be  supplied 
with  far  more  efficient  instruments }  The  symptoms  I 
mentioned  are  chiefly  a  pain  in  the  chest,  occasioned,  I 
suppose,  by  over-exertion  the  two  last  Sundays,  and  in- 
capacitating me  at  present  from  all  public  duty,  and  even 
from  conversation.  You  were  mistaken  in  supposing  that 
my  former  illness  originated  from  study.  Study  never 
makes  me  ill — scarcely  ever  fatigues  me — but  my  lungs  ! 
death  is  seated  there  ;  it  is  speaking  that  kills  me.  May 
it  give  others  life  !  '  Death  worketh  in  us,  but  life  in  you.' 
Nature  intended  me,  as  I  should  judge  from  the  structure 
of  my  frame,  for  chamber-council,  not  for  a  pleader  at  the 
Bar.  But  the  call  of  Jesus  Christ  bids  me  cry  aloud  and 
spare  not.  As  His  minister,  I  am  a  debtor  both  to  the 
Greek  and  the  barbarian.  How  can  I  be  silent  when  I 
have  both  ever  before  me,  and  my  debt  not  paid  ?  You 
would  suggest  that  energies  more  restrained  will  eventually 
be  more  efficient.  I  am  aware  of  this,  and  mean  to  act 
upon  this  principle  in  future,  if  the  resolution  is  not  formed 
too  late.  But  you  know  how  apt  we  are  to  outstep  the 
bounds  of  prudence  when  there  is  no  kind  of  monitor  at 
hand  to  warn  us  of  the  consequences. 


CAIVNPORE,  1809-1810  295 

Had  I  been  favoured  with  the  one  I  wanted,  I  might 
not  now  have  had  occasion  to  mourn.  You  smile  at  my 
allusion,  at  least  I  hope  so,  for  I  am  hardly  in  earnest.  I 
have  long  since  ceased  to  repine  at  the  decree  that  keeps 
us  as  far  asunder  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,  and  yet  am 
far  from  regretting  that  I  ever  knew  you.  The  re- 
membrance of  you  calls  forth  the  exercise  of  delightful 
affections,  and  has  kept  me  from  many  a  snare.  How  wise 
and  good  is  our  God  in  all  His  dealings  with  His  children  ! 
Had  I  yielded  to  the  suggestions  of  flesh  and  blood,  and 
remained  in  England,  as  I  should  have  done,  without  the 
effectual  working  of  His  power,  I  should  without  doubt 
have  sunk  with  my  sisters  into  an  early  grave.  Whereas 
here,  to  say  the  least,  I  may  live  a  few  years,  so  as  to 
accomplish  a  very  important  work.  His  keeping  you  from 
me  appears  also,  at  this  season  of  bodily  infirmity,  to  be 
occasion  of  thankfulness.  Death,  I  think,  would  be  a  less 
welcome  visitor  to  me,  if  he  came  to  take  me  from  a  wife, 
and  that  wife  were  you  Now,  if  I  die,  I  die  unnoticed, 
involving  none  in  calamity.  Oh,  that  I  could  trust  Him  for 
all  that  is  to  come,  and  love  Him  with  that  perfect  love 
which  casteth  out  fear  ;  for,  to  say  the  truth,  my  confidence 
is  sometimes  shaken.  To  appear  before  the  Judge  of  quick 
and  dead  is  a  much  more  awful  thought  in  sickness  than  in 
health.  Yet  I  dare  not  doubt  the  all-sufficiency  of  Jesus 
Christ,  nor  can  I,  with  the  utmost  ingenuity  of  unbelief, 
resist  the  reasonings  of  St.  Paul,  all  whose  reasons  seem  to 
be  drawn  up  on  purpose  to  work  into  the  mind  the 
persuasion  that  God  will  glorify  Himself  by  the  salvation 
of  sinners  through  Jesus  Christ.  I  wish  I  could  more 
enter  into  the  meaning  of  this  '  chosen  vessel.'  He  seems 
to  move  in  a  world  by  himself,  and  sometimes  to  utter  the 
unspeakable  words  such  as  my  natural  understanding 
discerneth  not ;  and  when  I  turn  to  commentators  I  find 
that  I  have  passed  out  of  the  spiritual  to  the  material 
world,  and  have  got  amongst  men  like  myself.     But  soon, 


296  HENRY  MARTYN 

as  he  says,  we  shall  no  longer  see  as  in  a  glass,  by 
reflected  rays,  but  see  as  we  are  seen,  and  know  as  we  are 
known. 

April  25. — After  another  interval  I  resume  my  pen. 
Through  the  mercy  of  God  I  am  again  quite  well,  but  my 
mind  is  a  good  deal  distressed  at  Sabat's  conduct.  I  forbear 
writing  what  I  think,  in  the  hope  that  my  fears  may  prove 
groundless  ;  but  indeed  the  children  of  the  East  are  adepts 
in  deceit.  Their  duplicity  appears  to  me  so  disgusting  at 
this  moment,  that  I  can  only  find  relief  from  my  growing 
misanthropy  by  remembering  Him  who  is  the  faithful  and 
true  Witness  ;  in  whom  all  the  promises  of  God  are  '  yea 
and  amen  ' ;  and  by  turning  to  the  faithful  in  Europe 
— children  that  will  not  lie.  Where  shall  we  find  sincerity 
in  a  native  of  the  East  ?     Yesterday  I  dined  in  a  private 

way  with  .     After  one  year's  inspection  of  me  they 

begin  to  lose  their  dread  and  venture  to  invite  me.  Our 
conversation  was  occasionally  religious,  but  topics  of  this 
nature  are  so  new  to  fashionable  people,  and  those  upon 
which  they  have  thought  so  much  less  than  on  any  other, 
that  often  from  the  shame  of  having  nothing  to  say  they 
pass  to  other  subjects  where  they  can  be  more  at  home.  I 
was  asked  after  dinner  if  I  liked  music.  On  my  professing  to 
be  an  admirer  of  harmony,  cantos  were  performed  and  songs 
sung.  After  a  time  I  inquired  if  they  had  no  sacred  music. 
It  was  now  recollected  that  they  had  some  of  Handel's,  but  it 
could  not  be  found.  A  promise,  however,  was  made  that 
next  time  I  came  it  should  be  produced.  Instead  of  it  the 
145th  Psalm-tune  was  played,  but  none  of  the  ladies  could 
recollect  enough  of  the  tune  to  sing  it.  I  observed  that  all 
our  talents  and  powers  should  be  consecrated  to  the  service 
of  Him  who  gave  them.  To  this  no  reply  was  made,  but 
the  reproof  was  felt.  I  asked  the  lady  of  the  house  if  she 
read  poetry,  and  then  proceeded  to  mention  Cowper,  whose 
poems,  it  seems,  were  in  the  library  ;  but  the  lady  had 
never  heard  of  the  book.     This  was  produced,  and  I  read 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  297 

some  passages.     Poor  people  !    here  a  little  and    there  a 
little  is  a  rule  to  be  observed  in  speaking  to  them. 

April  26. — From  speaking  to  my  men  last  night,  and 
again  to-day  conversing  long  with  some  natives,  my  chest 
is  again  in  pain,  so  much  so  that  I  can  hardly  speak. 
Well,  now  I  am  taught,  and  will  take  more  care  in  future. 
My  sheet  being  full,  I  must  bid  you  adieu.  The  Lord 
ever  bless  and  keep  you.  Believe  me  to  be  with  the 
truest  affection, — Yours  ever, 

H.  Martyn. 

To  Rev.  T.  M.  Hitchins,  Plymouth  Dock 

Cawnpore :  October  10,  1809. 
My  dearest  Brother, — I  am  again  disappointed  in 
receiving  no  letter  from  you.  The  last  intelligence  from 
the  West  of  England  is  Lydia's  letter  of  July  8,  1808. 
Colonel  Sandys  has  long  since  ceased  to  write  to  me,  and  I 
have  no  other  correspondent.  It  is  very  affecting  to  me  to 
be  thus  considered  as  dead  by  almost  all  my  natural  rela- 
tions and  early  connections ;  and  at  this  time,  when  I  am 
led  to  think  of  you  and  the  family  to  which  you  are  united, 
and  have  been  reading  all  your  letters  over,  I  feel  that  I 
could  dip  my  pen  deep  in  melancholy  ;  for,  strange  as  it 
may  seem  to  you,  I  love  so  true,  that  though  it  is  now  the 
fifth  year  since  I  parted  from  the  object  of  my  affection,  she 
is  as  dear  to  me  as  ever ;  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  I  find  my 
present  freedom  such  a  privilege  that  I  would  not  lose 
it  for  hardly  any  consideration.  It  is  the  impossibility  of 
compassing  every  wish,  that  I  suppose  is  the  cause  of  any 
uneasiness  that  I  feel.  I  know  not  how  to  express  my 
thoughts  respecting  Lydia  better  than  in  Martial's  words — 
Nee  tecum  possum  vivere  nee  sine  te.  However,  these  are 
not  my  general  sentiments  ;  it  pleases  God  to  cause  me  to 
eat  my  meat  with  gladness,  praising  God.  Almost  always 
I  am  without  carefulness,  as  indeed  it  would  be  to  my  shame 
if  I  were  not 


298  HENRY  MARTYN 

My  kindest  remembrances  attend  my  dearest  sisters, 
Emma  and  Lydia,  as  they  well  know.  You  two  are  such 
bad  correspondents  that  on  this  ground  I  prefer  another 
petition  for  the  renewal  of  Lydia's  correspondence, — she 
need  not  suspect  anything  now,  nor  her  friends.  I  have 
no  idea  that  I  should  trouble  her  upon  the  old  subject,  even 
if  I  were  settled  in  England — for  oh,  this  vain  world  !  quid 
liabet  com  modi?  quid  non  potius  laboris  ? 

But  I  never  expect  to  see  England  more,  nor  do  I  ex- 
pect that  though  all  obstacles  should  be  removed,  she  would 
ever  become  mine  unless  I  came  for  her,  and  I  now  do  not 
wonder  at  it,  though  I  did  before.  If  any  one  of  my  sisters 
had  had  such  a  proposal  made  to  them,  I  would  never  have 
consented  to  their  going,  so  you  may  see  the  affair  is 
ended  between  us.  My  wish  is  that  she  would  be  scribe 
for  you  all,  and  I  promise  on  my  part  to  send  you  through 
her  an  ample  detail  of  all  my  proceedings  ;  also  she  need 
not  imagine  that  I  may  form  another  attachment — in  which 
case  she  might  suppose  a  correspondence  with  an  un- 
married lady  might  be  productive  of  difficulties, — for  after 
one  disappointment  I  am  not  likely  to  try  my  chance 
again,  and  if  I  do  I  will  give  her  the  earliest  intelligence 
of  it,  with  the  same  frankness  with  which  I  have  always 
dealt  (with  her). 

Meanwhile,  on  the  silent  shores  of  South  Cornwall, 
Lydia  Grenfell  was  thus  remembering  him  before  God  : 

1809,  March  30.  —  My  dear  friend  in  India  much  upon 
my  heart  lately,  chiefly  in  desires  that  the  work  of  God 
may  prosper  in  his  hands,  and  that  he  may  become  more 
and  more  devoted  to  the  Lord.  I  seem,  as  to  the  future, 
to  have  attained  what  a  year  or  two  since  I  prayed  much 
for — to  regard  him  absent  as  in  another  state  of  existence, 
and  my  affection  is  holy,  pure,  and  spiritual  for  this  dear 
saint  of  God  ;  when  it  is  otherwise,  it  is  owing  to  my  look- 
ing back.    Recollections  sometimes  intrude,  and  I  welcome 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  299 

them,  alas,  and  act  over  again  the  past — but  Lord,  Thy 
holy,  blessed  will  be  done — cheerfully,  thankfully  I  say 
this. 

Tregcmbo,  July  ii. — I  have  suffered  from  levity  of 
spirit,  and  lost  thereby  the  enjoyment  of  God.  How  good 
then  is  it  in  the  Lord  to  employ  means  in  His  providence 
to  recall  His  wanderer  to  Himself  and  happiness  !  Such 
mercy  belongeth  unto  God — and  this  His  care  over  me  I 
will  record  as  a  testimony  against  myself,  if  I  forsake  Him 
again  and  lose  that  sweet  seriousness  of  mind,  so  essential 
to  my  peace  and  safety.  Though  I  have  never  (perhaps 
for  many  hours  in  a  day)  ceased  to  remember  my  dear 
friend  in  India,  it  has  not  of  late  been  in  a  way  but  as  I 
might  love  and  think  of  him  in  heaven.  Why  is  it  then 
that  the  intelligence  of  his  probable  nearness  to  that 
blessed  abode  should  distress  me  ?  yet  it  did,  and  does  so 
still.  It  is  this  intelligence  which  has,  I  hope,  taught  that 
my  late  excessive  cheerfulness  was  dangerous  to  my  soul, 
in  weakening  my  hold  of  better  and  calmer  joys.  I  was 
directed,  I  think,  to  the  thirty-sixth  Psalm  for  what  I 
wanted  on  this  occasion,  as  I  was  once  before  to  the  sixty- 
first,  and  I  have  found  it  most  wonderfully  cheering  to  my 
heart.  The  Lord,  as  '  the  preserver  of  man  and  beast,' 
caused  me  to  exercise  dependence  on  Him  respecting  the 
result  of  my  friend's  illness.  Then  the  description  of  the 
Divine  perfections  drew  back  my  wandering  heart,  I  hope 
to  God.  The  declaration  of  those  who  trust  in  God  being 
abundantly  satisfied  with  the  fatness  of  His  house,  taught 
me  where  real  enjoyment  alone  will  be  found  ;  but  the 
concluding  part  opened  in  a  peculiarly  sweet  way  to  my 
mind  :  '  Thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  river  of  Thy 
pleasures.' 

October  23. — I  am  under  some  painful  forebodings 
respecting  my  dear  absent  friend,  and  know  not  how  to 
act.  I  am  strongly  impelled  to  write  to  him,  now  that  he 
is  in  affliction  and  perhaps  sickness  himself — yet  I  dread 


30O  HENRY  MARTYN 

departing  from  the  plain  path  of  duty.  •  O  Lord,  direct 
me,'  is  my  cry.  I  hope  my  desire  is  to  do  Thy  will,  and 
only  Thy  will.  I  have  given  him  up  to  Thee  — oh,  let  me 
do  so  sincerely,  and  trust  in  Thy  fatherly  care. 

l^io,  January  i. — Felt  the  necessity  of  beginning  this 
year  with  prayer  for  preserving  grace.  Prayed  with  some 
sense  of  my  own  weakness  and  dependence  on  God — with 
a  conviction  of  much  sin  and  hope  in  His  mercy  through 
Jesus  Christ.  Oh,  to  be  Thine,  Lord,  in  heart  and  life  this 
year !  Had  a  remembrance  of  those  most  dear  to  me  in 
prayer,  and  found  it  very  sweet  to  commend  them  to  God, 
especially  my  friend  in  India — perhaps  not  now  in  India, 
but  in  heaven.  Oh,  to  join  him  at  last  in  Thy  blissful 
presence ! 

January  24. — Heard  yesterday  of  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
John — what  a  mercy  to  me  do  I  feel  it ! — a  load  gone  off 
my  mind,  for  every  evil  I  heard  of  his  committing  I  feared 
I  might  have  been  the  cause  of,  by  my  conduct  ten  years 
since — I  rejoice  in  this  event  for  his  sake  and  my  own. 

February  6. — Heard  at  last  of  the  safety  of  my  friend 
in  India,  and  wrote  to  him — many  fears  on  my  mind  as  to 
its  propriety,  and  great  deadness  of  soul  in  doing  it — yet 
ere  I  concluded  I  felt  comforted  from  the  thought  of  the 
nearness  of  eternity,  and  the  certainty  that  then,  without 
any  fear  of  doing  wrong,  I  should  again  enjoy  communion 
with  him. 

February  24.— Many  sad  presages  of  evil  concerning 
my  absent  friend,  yet  I  am  enabled  to  leave  all  to  God — 
only  now  I  pray,  if  consistent  with  His  will,  his  life  may 
be  spared,  and  as  a  means  of  it,  that  God  may  incline  him 
to  return  again  to  this  land.  I  never  did  before  dare  to 
ask  this,  believing  the  cause  of  God  would  be  more  advanced 
by  his  remaining  in  India  ;  but  now  I  pray,  without  fear  of 
doing  wrong  or  opposing  the  will  of  God,  for  his  return. 

March  5. — I  am  sensible  of  a  very  remarkable  change 
in  the  desires  of  my  soul  before  God,  respecting  my  absent 


CAWNPORE,  1809- 1 8  lo  301 

friend.  I  with  freedom  and  peace  now  pray  continually 
that  he  maybe  restored  to  his  friends  and  country  ;  before, 
I  never  dared  to  ask  anything  but  that  the  Lord  would 
order  this  as  His  wisdom  saw  fit,  and  thought  it  not  a 
subject  for  prayer.  His  injured  health  causes  me  to  believe 
that  India  is  not  the  place  for  his  labours — and,  oh,  that  his 
mind  may  be  rightly  influenced  and  the  Lord's  will  done, 
whether  it  be  his  remaining  there  or  returning. 

April  23. — Wrote  to  India. 

November  30. — Heard  yesterday,  and  again  to-day, 
from  India.'  The  illness  of  my  friend  fills  me  with  appre- 
hensions on  his  account,  and  I  seemed  called  on  to  prepare 
for  hearing  of  his  removal.  I  wish  to  place  before  my 
eyes  the  blessedness  of  the  change  to  him,  and,  though 
agitated  and  sad,  I  can  bear  to  think  of  our  never  more 
beholding  each  other  in  this  world.  This  indeed  has  long 
been  my  expectation,  and  that  he  should  have  left  the 
toils  of  mortality  for  the  joys  of  heaven  should,  on  his 
account,  fill  me  with  praise — yet  my  heart  cannot  rise 
with  thankfulness,  I  seem  stupefied,  insensible  to  any 
feeling  but  that  of  anxiety  to  hear  again  and  know  the 
truth,  and  that  my  heart  could  joy  in  God  at  all  times  ; 
but  alas  !  all  is  cold  there  !  Oh,  return,  blessed  Spirit  of  life 
and  peace. 

181 1,  March  28. — Heard  from  my  dearest  friend  in 
India.^     Rose  early.     Found  my  spirit  engaged  in  prayer, 

but  was  far otherwise  in  reading.     Such  dulness 

and  inattention  as  ought  deeply  to  abase  me,  vanity  and  a 
desire  to  appear  of  importance  in  the  school,  beset  me. 

Corrie  had  been  ordered  from  his  narrow  parish  of 
Chunar  to  the  wider  field  of  Agra,  and  on  his  way  up  was 
directed  to  remain  at  Cawnpore  to  help  his  friend,  whose 
physical  exhaustion  was  too  apparent  even  to  the  most 

'  By  letters  written  March  30  and  April  19,  1810,  from  Cawnpore. 
*  By  letter  written  August  14,  1810. 


302  HENRY  MARTYN 

careless  officer.  Among  those  influenced  by  both  was 
one  of  the  surgeons,  Dr.  Govan,^  who  was  spared,  at  St. 
Andrews,  till  after  the  Mutiny  of  1857,  when  in  an  un- 
published lecture  to  its  Literary  and  Philosophical  Society, 
he  thus  alluded  to  these  workers  in  Cawnpore  : 

The  Hukeem  and  the  missionary  hear  native  opinion 
spoken  out  with  much  greater  freedom  than  the  political 
agent,  the  judge,  or  commandant.  '  Were  there  many 
more  of  the  Sahibean  Ungez  (the  English  gentlemen)  in 
character  like  the  Padre  Sahibs  (Corrie  and  Martyn), 
Christianity  would  make  more  progress  here,'  was  the  un- 
varied testimony  of  the  natives  in  their  favour.  ...  I 
cannot  help  mentioning  the  results  of  various  conversations 
I  had  with  two  natives  of  Eastern  rank  and  family  employed 
by  the  Venerable  Mr.  Corrie,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Madras, 
and  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  in  Scripture  translation,  and 
whose  assistance  I  had  used  in  the  study  of  the  languages, 
as  they  quite  coincide  with  much  which  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  hearing  among  men  of  still  higher  position  in  the 
native  educated  community,  when  attached  to  the  staff  of 
the  Governor-General  :  '  By  the  decrees  of  God,'  said  the 
Mohammedan  noble,  '  and  the  ubiquity  of  their  fleets, 
armaments,  and  commerce,  it  appears  plainly  that  the 
European  nations  have  become  the  arbiters  of  the  destinies 
of  the  nations  of  Asia.  Yet  this  seems  to  us  strange  in 
the  followers  of  Him  who  taught  that  His  true  disciples 
must  be  ready  to  give  their  cloaks  also  to  him  who  took 
from  them  their  coats.'  To  which  I  had  no  better  reply 
than  this,  that  the  progress  of  events  in  the  world's  history 
seems  to  us  to  give  evidence  that  undoubtedly  a  Divine 
message  had  been  sent,  both  to  governments  and  their 
subjects,  to  which,  at  their  peril,  both  must  give  attention. 

'  On  leaving  the  station  Henry  Martyn  presented  his  French  New  Testa- 
ment to  Dr.  Govan,  a  little  morocco- bound  volume  which  his  son  prizes  as  an 
heirloom. 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  303 

But  that,  as  a  question  of  public  national  policy,  it  seemed 
generally  admitted  and  understood  that  the  civil  rulers  of 
no  nation,  Christian,  Mohammedan,  or  Heathen,  were  laid 
under  an  obligation,  by  their  individual  beliefs,  to  allow  a 
country,  unable  to  govern  itself  by  reason  of  its  intermin- 
able divisions  and  subjects  of  deadly  internal  strife,  to  be 
occupied  and  made  use  of  by  their  European  or  other 
enemies,  as  a  means  for  their  own  injury  or  destruction,  for 
any  criminal  or  sinful  acts,  done  in  the  building  up  of  a 
nation  or  government.  I  may  add  that  I  never  heard  a 
native  of  India  attempt  directly  to  impugn  the  perfect 
justice  of  the  British  possession  of  India  on  this  ground. 
'  The  Padre  Sahib  has  put  the  subject  in  its  true  light ' 
(said  the  same  Mohammedan  authority)  '  when  he  said 
that  Christianity  had  higher  objects  in  view,  in  its  influence 
on  human  character,  than  to  enforce  absolute  rules  about 
meats  and  drinks  ;  for  should  he  even  induce  me  (which  is 
unlikely)  to  become  more  of  a  Christian  than  I  am,  believing, 
as  I  do,  in  the  authority  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets, 
and  in  Jesus  Christ  as  a  prophet  sent  by  God,  he  will 
never  persuade  me  to  look  upon  many  articles  of  diet  used 
by  Christians  with  anything  but  the  most  intense  disgust 
and  abhorrence,  and  he  will  assuredly  find  it  the  same  with 
most  of  these  idolatrous  Hindus. 

We  return  to  MdivXyn' a  Journal  send  Correspondence  i 

July  8.  (Sunday.)  — Corrie  preached  to  the  53rd  a 
funeral  sermon  on  the  death  of  one  of  their  captains.  In 
the  afternoon  I  spoke  to  the  natives  on  the  first  command- 
ment, with  greater  fluency  than  I  have  yet  found.  My 
thoughts  to-day  very  much  towards  Lydia  ;  I  began  even 
to  be  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  going  to  England  for  her. 
'  Many  are  the  thoughts  of  a  man's  heart,  but  the  counsel 
of  the  Lord,  that  shall  stand.' 


304  HENRY  MARTYN 


To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Cawnpore :  August  14,  1810. 

With  what  deh'ght  do  I  sit  down  to  begin  a  letter 
to  my  beloved  Lydia !  Yours  of  February  5,  which  I 
received  a  few  days  ago,  was  written,  I  conceive,  in  con- 
siderable embarrassment.  You  thought  it  possible  it  might 
find  me  married,  or  about  to  be  so.  Let  me  begin, 
therefore,  with  assuring  you,  with  more  truth  than  Gehazi 
did  his  master,  '  Thy  servant  went  no  whither  : '  my  heart 
has  not  strayed  from  Marazion,  or  Gurlyn,  or  wherever  you 
are.  Five  long  years  have  passed,  and  I  am  still  faithful. 
Happy  would  it  be  if  I  could  say  that  I  had  been  equally 
true  to  my  profession  of  love  for  Him  who  is  fairer  than  ten 
thousand,  and  altogether  lovely.  Yet  to  the  praise  of  His 
grace  let  me  recollect  that  twice  five  years  have  passed  away 
since  I  began  to  know  Him,  and  I  am  still  not  gone  from 
Him.  On  the  contrary,  time  and  experience  have  en- 
deared the  Lord  to  me  more  and  more,  so  that  I  feel  less 
inclination,  and  see  less  reason  for  leaving  Him.  What  is 
there,  alas !  in  the  world,  were  it  even  everlasting  ? 

I  rejoice  at  the  accounts  you  give  me  of  your  continued 
good  health  and  labours  of  love.  Though  you  are  not  so 
usefully  employed  as  you  might  be  in  India,  yet  as  that 
must  not  be,  I  contemplate  with  delight  your  exertions  at 
the  other  end  of  the  world.  May  you  be  instrumental  in 
bringing  many  sons  and  daughters  to  glory.  What  is 
become  of  St.  Hilary  and  its  fairy  scenes  ^  When  I  think 
of  Malachy,  and  the  old  man,  and  your  sister,  and  Josepha, 
etc.,  how  some  are  dead,  and  the  rest  dispersed,  and  their 
place  occupied  by  strangers,  it  seems  all  like  a  dream. 

August  15. — It  is  only  little  intervals  of  time  that  I  can 
find  for  writing ;  my  visitors,  about  whom  I  shall  write 
presently,  taking  up  much  of  my  leisure  from  necessary  duty. 
Here  follow  some  extracts  from  n\y  Journal.  ,  .  . 


CAWNPORE,  1809-1810  305 

Here  my  Journal  must  close.  I  do  not  know  whether 
you  understand  from  it  how  we  go  on.  I  must  endeavour 
to  give  you  a  clearer  idea  of  it 

We  all  live  here  in  bungalows,  or  thatched  houses,  on  a 
piece  of  ground  enclosed.  Next  to  mine  is  the  church,  not 
yet  opened  for  public  worship,  but  which  we  make  use  of 
at  night  with  the  men  of  the  53rd.  Corrie  lives  with  me, 
and  Miss  Corrie  with  the  Sherwoods.  We  usually  rise 
at  daybreak,  and  breakfast  at  six.  Immediately  after 
breakfast  we  pray  together,  after  which  I  translate  into 
Arabic  with  Sabat,  who  lives  in  a  small  bungalow  on  my 
ground.  We  dine  at  twelve,  and  sit  recreating  ourselves 
with  talking  a  little  about  dear  friends  in  England.  In  the 
afternoon,  I  translate  with  Mirza  Fitrut  into  Hindustani, 
and  Corrie  employs  himself  in  teaching  some  native 
Christian  boys  whom  he  is  educating  with  great  care,  in 
hopes  of  their  being  fit  for  the  office  of  catechist.  I  have 
also  a  school  on  my  premises,  for  natives  ;  but  it  is  not 
well  attended.  There  are  not  above  sixteen  Hindu  boys 
in  it  at  present  :  half  of  them  read  the  Book  of  Genesis. 
At  sunset  we  ride  or  drive,  and  then  meet  at  the  church, 
where  we  often  raise  the  song  of  praise,  with  as  much  joy, 
through  the  grace  and  presence  of  our  Lord,  as  you  do  in 
England.  At  ten  we  are  all  asleep.  Thus  we  go  on.  To  the 
hardships  of  missionaries  we  are  strangers,  yet  not  averse, 
I  trust,  to  encounter  them  when  we  are  called.  My  work 
at  present  is  evidently  to  translate ;  hereafter  I  may 
itinerate.  Dear  Corrie,  I  fear,  never  will,  he  always  suffers 
from  moving  about  in  the  daytime.  But  I  should  have 
said  something  about  my  health,  as  I  find  my  death  was 
reported  at  Cambridge.  I  thank  God  I  am  perfectly  well, 
though  not  very  strong  in  my  lungs  ;  they  do  not  seem 
affected  yet,  but  I  cannot  speak  long  without  uneasiness. 
From  the  nature  of  my  complaint,  if  it  deserves  the  name, 
it  is  evident  that  England  is  the  last  place  I  should  go  to. 
I    should   go   home   only    to   find  a  grave.     How  shall  I 

X 


3o6  HENRY  MARTYN 

therefore  ever  see  you  more  on  this  side  of  eternity  ? 
Well  !  be  it  so,  since  such  is  the  will  of  God  :  we  shall 
meet,  through  grace,  in  the  realms  of  bliss. 

I  am  truly  sorry  to  see  my  paper  fail.  Write  as  often  as 
possible,  every  three  months  at  least.  Tell  me  where  you 
go,  and  whom  you  see  and  what  you  read. 

August  ly. — I  am  sorry  to  conclude  with  saying  that 
my  yesterday's  boasted  health  proved  a  mistake  ;  I  was 
seized  with  violent  sickness  in  the  night,  but  to-day  am 
better.  Continue  to  pray  for  me,  and  believe  me  to  be, 
your  ever  affectionate 

H.  Martyn. 

September  22. — Was  walking  with  Lydia ;  both  much 
affected,  and  speaking  on  the  things  dearest  to  us  both. 
I  awoke,  and  behold  it  was  a  dream.  My  mind  remained 
very  solemn  and  pensive ;  shed  some  tears ;  the  clock 
struck  three,  and  the  moon  was  riding  near  her  highest 
noon  ;  all  was  silence  and  solemnity,  and  I  thought  with 
some  pain  of  the  sixteen  thousand  miles  between  us.  But 
good  is  the  will  of  the  Lord,  if  I  see  her  no  more. 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

From  the  Ganges  :  October  6,  l8io. 

My  dearest  Lydia, — -Though  I  have  had  no  letter 
from  you  very  lately,  nor  have  anything  particular  to  say, 
yet  having  been  days  on  the  water  without  a  person  to 
speak  to,  tired  also  with  reading  and  thinking,  I  mean  to 
indulge  myself  with  a  little  of  what  is  always  agreeable  to 
me,  and  sometimes  good  for  me ;  for  as  my  affection  for 
you  has  something  sacred  in  it,  being  founded  on,  or  at 
least  cemented  by,  an  union  of  spirit  in  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  so 
my  separation  also  from  you  produced  a  deadness  to  the 
world,  at  least  for  a  time,  which  leaves  a  solemn  impression 
as  often  as  I  think  of  it.  Add  to  this,  that  as  I  must  not 
indulge  the  hope  of  ever  seeing  you  again  in  this  world,  I 


CAWNPORE,  1 809-1810  307 

cannot  think  of  you  without  thinking  also  of  that  world 
where  we  shall  meet.  You  mention  in  one  of  your  letters 
my  coming  to  England,  as  that  which  may  eventually 
prove  a  duty.  You  ought  to  have  added,  that  in  case  I  do 
come,  you  will  consider  it  a  duty  not  to  let  me  come  away 
again  without  you.  But  I  am  not  likely  to  put  you  to  the 
trial.  Useless  as  I  am  here,  I  often  think  I  should  be  still 
more  so  at  home.  Though  my  voice  fails  me,  I  can 
translate  and  converse.  At  home  I  should  be  nothing 
without  being  able  to  lift  my  voice  on  high.  I  have  just 
left  my  station,  Cawnpore,  in  order  to  be  silent  six  months. 
I  have  no  cough,  or  any  kind  of  consumption,  except  that 
reading  prayers,  or  preaching,  or  a  slight  cold,  brings  on 
pain  in  the  chest.  I  am  advised  therefore  to  recruit  my 
strength  by  rest.  So  I  am  come  forth,  with  my  face 
towards  Calcutta,  with  an  ulterior  view  to  the  sea.  Nothing 
happened  at  Cawnpore,  after  I  wrote  to  you  in  September 
but  I  must  look  to  vay  Journal. 

I  think  of  having  my  portrait  taken  in  Calcutta,  as 
I  promised  Mr.  Simeon  five  years  ago.  Sabat's  picture 
would  also  be  a  curiosity.  Yesterday  I  carried  Col.  Wood 
to  dine  with  me,  at  the  Nabob  Rahir  All's.  Sabat  was 
there.  The  Colonel,  who  had  been  reading  by  the  way 
the  account  of  his  conversion,  in  the  Asiatic  and  East 
Society  Report,  which  I  had  given  him,  eyed  him  with  no 
great  complacency,  and  observed  in  French,  that  Sabat 
might  not  understand  him, '  II  a  I'air  d'un  sauvage.'  Sabat's 
countenance  is  indeed  terrible  ;  noble  when  he  is  pleased, 
but  with  the  look  of  an  assassin  when  he  is  out  of  humour. 
I  have  had  more  opportunities  of  knowing  Sabat  than  any 
man  has  had,  and  I  cannot  regard  him  with  that  interest 
which  the  '  Star  in  the  East '  is  calculated  to  excite  in  most 
people.  Buchanan  says,  I  wrote  (to  whom  I  do  not  know) 
in  terms  of  admiration  and  affection  about  him.  Affection 
I  do  feel  for  him,  but  admiration,  if  I  did  once  feel  it,  I  am 
not  conscious  of  it  at  present.     I  tremble  for  everything 


3o8  HENRY  MARTYN 

our  dear  friends  publish  about  our  doings  in   India,  lest 
shame  come  to  us  and  them. 

Calcutta,  November  5. — A  sheet  full,  like  the  preceding, 
I  had  written,  but  the  moment  it  is  necessary  to  send  off 
my  letter  I  cannot  find  it.  That  it  does  not  go  on  to  you 
is  of  little  consequence,  but  into  whose  hands  may  it  have 
fallen  t  It  is  this  that  grieves  me.  It  was  the  continuance 
of  my  Journal  to  Calcutta,  where  I  arrived  the  last  day  in 
October.  Constant  conversation  with  dear  friends  here 
has  brought  on  the  pain  in  the  chest  again,  so  that  I  do  not 
attempt  to  preach.  In  two  or  three  weeks  I  shall  embark 
for  the  Gulf  of  Persia,  where,  if  I  live,  I  shall  solace  myself 
in  my  hours  of  solitude  with  writing  to  you. 

Farewell,  beloved  friend  ;  pray  for  me,  as  you  do,  I  am 
sure,  and  doubt  not  of  an  unceasing  interest  in  the  heart 
and  prayers  of  your  ever  affectionate 

H.  Martyn. 

Ordered  away  on  six  months'  sick  leave,  Henry  Martyn 
had  the  joy  of  once  at  least  ministering  to  his  soldier 
flock  in  the  '  new  church,'  which  he  had  induced  the  autho- 
rities to  form  out  of  an  ordinary  bungalow.  Daily  and 
fondly  had  he  watched  the  preparations,  reporting  to 
Brown  :  '  My  church  is  almost  ready  for  the  organ  and  the 
bell,'     On  Sunday,  September  16,  he  had  written : 

*  Rain  prevented  me  from  having  any  service  in  public  ; 
the  natives  not  being  able  to  sit  upon  the  grass,  I  could  not 
preach  to  them.' 

On  Sunday,  September  30,  he  thus  took  farewell  of  his 
different  congregations ; 

Corrie  preached  to  the  Dragoons,  at  nine  the  new 
church  was  opened.  There  was  a  considerable  congregation, 
and  I  preached  on,  'In  all  places  where  I  record  my  name, 
I  will  come  unto  thee  and  bless  thee.'     I  felt  something  of 


CAWNPORE,  i^o()  \^\o  309 

thankfulness  and  joy,  and  our  dear  friends  the  same.  The 
Sherwoods  and  Miss  Corrie  stayed  with  us  the  rest  of  the 
day.  In  the  afternoon  I  preached  the  Gospel  to  the 
natives  for  the  first  time,  giving  them  a  short  account  of 
the  life,  death,  miracles,  manner  of  teaching,  death  and 
resurrection  of  Jesus,  then  the  doctrines  of  His  religion,  and 
concluded  with  exhorting  them  to  believe  in  Him,  and 
taking  them  to  record  that  I  had  declared  to  them  the  glad 
tidings  that  had  come  to  us,  and  that  if  they  rejected  it  I 
was  clear  from  their  blood,  and  thus  I  bid  them  farewell. 

Mrs.  Sherwood  thus  describes  the  scene : 

On  the  Sunday  before  Mr.  Martyn  left  the  church  was 
opene(^  and  the  bell  sounded  for  the  first  time  over  this 
land  of  darkness.  The  church  was  crowded,  and  there  was 
the  band  of  our  regiment  to  lead  the  singing  and  the 
chanting.  Sergeant  Clarke — our  Sergeant  Clarke  had 
been  appointed  as  clerk  ;  and  there  he  sat  under  the  desk 
in  due  form,  in  his  red  coat,  and  went  through  his  duty 
with  all  due  correctness.  The  Rev.  Daniel  Corrie  read 
prayers,  and  Mr.  Martyn  preached.  That  was  a  day  never 
to  be  forgotten.  Those  only  who  have  been  for  some  years 
in  a  place  where  there  nevei  has  been  public  worship  can 
have  any  idea  of  the  fearful  effect  of  its  absence,  especially 
among  the  mass  of  the  people,  who,  of  course,  are  unre- 
generate.  Every  prescribed  form  of  public  worship  certainly 
has  a  tendency  to  become  nothing  more  than  a  form,  yet 
even  a  form  may  awaken  reflection,  and  any  state  is  better 
than  that  of  perfect  deadness.  From  his  first  arrival  at  the 
station  Mr.  Martyn  had  been  labouring  to  effect  the  pur- 
pose which  he  then  saw  completed  :  namely,  the  opening 
of  a  place  of  worship.  He  was  permitted  to  see  it,  to  ad- 
dress the  congregation  once,  and  then  he  was  summoned 
to  depart.  How  often,  how  very  often,  are  human  beings 
called  away,  perhaps  from  this  world,  at  the  moment  they 
have  been  enabled  to  bring  to  bear  some  favourite  object, 


Sio  HENRY  MARTYN 

Blessed  are  those  whose  object  has  been  such  a  one  as  that 
of  Henry  Martyn.  Alas  !  he  was  known  to  be,  even  then, 
in  a  most  dangerous  state  of  health,  either  burnt  within  by 
slow  inflammation,  which  gave  a  flush  to  his  cheek,  or  pale 
as  death  from  weakness  and  lassitude. 

On  this  occasion  the  bright  glow  prevailed — a  brilliant 
light  shone  from  his  eyes — he  was  filled  with  hope  and  joy  ; 
he  saw  the  dawn  of  better  things,  he  thought,  at  Cawnpore, 
and  most  eloquent,  earnest,  and  affectionate  was  his  address 
to  the  congregation.  Our  usual  party  accompanied  him 
back  to  his  bungalow,  where,  being  arrived,  he  sank,  as  was 
often  his  way,  nearly  fainting,  on  a  sofa  in  the  hall.  Soon, 
however,  he  revived  a  little,  and  called  us  all  about  him  to 
sing.  It  was  then  that  we  sang  to  him  that  sweet  hymn 
which  thus  begins : 

O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 

Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 
Our  shelter  from  the  stormy  blast, 

An  J  our  eternal  home. 

We  all  dined  early  together,  and  then  returned  with  our 
little  ones  to  enjoy  some  rest  and  quiet ;  but  when  the  sun 
began  to  descend  to  the  horizon  we  again  went  over  to 
Mr.  Martyn's  bungalow,  to  hear  his  last  address  to  the 
fakeers.  It  was  one  of  those  sickly,  hazy,  burning  even- 
ings, which  I  have  before  described,  and  the  scene  was 
precisely  such  a  one  as  I  have  recounted  above.  Mr. 
Martyn  nearly  fainted  again  after  this  effort,  and  when  he 
got  to  his  house,  with  his  friends  about  him,  he  told  us  that 
he  was  afraid  he  had  not  been  the  means  of  doing  the 
smallest  good  to  any  one  of  the  strange  people  whom  he 
had  thus  so  often  addressed.  He  did  not  even  then  know 
of  the  impression  he  had  been  enabled  to  make,  on  one  of 
these  occasions,  on  Sheikh  Salch.  On  the  Monday  our 
beloved  friend  went  to  his  boats,  which  lay  at  the  Ghaut, 
nearest  the  bungalow  ;  but  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  how- 


CAWNPORE,  1809  1 810  311 

ever,  whilst  Miss  Corrie  and  myself  were  taking  the  air  in 
our  tonjons,  he  came  after  us  on  horseback.  There  was  a 
gentle  sadness  in  his  aspect  as  he  accompanied  me  home  ; 
and  Miss  Corrie  came  also.  Once  again  we  all  supped  to- 
gether, and  united  in  one  last  hymn.  We  were  all  low, 
very,  very  low  ;  we  could  never  expect  to  behold  again 
that  face  which  we  then  saw — to  hear  again  that  voice,  or 
to  be  again  elevated  and  instructed  by  that  conversation 
It  was  impossible  to  hope  that  he  would  survive  the  fatigue 
of  such  a  journey  as  he  meditated.  Often  and  often,  when 
thinking  of  him,  have  these  verses,  so  frequently  sung  by 
him,  come  to  my  mind  : 

E'er  since  by  faith  I  saw  the  stream  v 

Thy  flowing  wounds  supply, 
Redeeming  love  has  been  my  theme, 

And  shall  be  till  I  die. 

Then,  in  a  nobler,  sweeter  song, 

I'll  sing  Thy  power  to  save. 
When  this  poor  lisping,  stammering  tongue 

Is  silent  in  the  grave. 

Henry  Martyn's  continued  to  be  the  military  church  of 
Cawnpore  till  1857,  when  it  was  destro}'ed  in  the  Mutiny. 
Its  place  has  been  taken  by  a  Memorial  Church  which 
visibly  proclaims  forgiveness  and  peace  on  the  never-to- 
be  forgotten  site  of  Wheeler's  entrenchment — consecrated 
ground  indeed  ! 

On  October  i  he  left  Cawnpore,  '  after  a  parting  prayer 
with  my  dearest  brother  Corrie,'  '  to  whom  he  wrote  from 
Allahabad  : 

Thus  far  we  are  come  in  safety ;  but  my  spirits  tell  me 

'  We  have  these  reminiscences  of  Henry  Martyn's  Cawnpore  from  Bishop 
Corrie,  when,  as  Archdeacon  of  Calcutta,  he  again  visited  it.  In  1824  he 
writes  :  '  I  arrived  at  this  station  on  the  day  fourteen  years  after  sainted 
Martyn  had  dedicated  the  church.     The  house  he  occupied  stands  close  by. 


312  HENRY  MARTYN 

that.  I  have  parted  with  friends.  Your  pale  face  as  it 
appeared  on  Monday  morning  is  still  before  my  eyes,  and 
will  not  let  me  be  easy  till  you  tell  me  you  are  strong  and 
prudent.  The  first  night  there  blew  a  wind  so  bleak  and 
cold,  through  and  through  my  boat  and  bed,  that  I  rose, 
as  I  expected,  with  a  pain  in  the  breast,  which  has  not 
quite  left  me,  but  will,  I  hope,  to-night,  when  I  shall  take 
measures  for  expelling  it.  There  is  a  gate  not  paid  for  yet 
belonging  to  the  church-yard,  may  you  always  go  through 
it  in  faith  and  return  through  it  with  praise.  You  are  now 
in  prayer  with  our  men.  The  Lord  be  with  you,  and  be 
always  with  you,  dearest  brother. 

Ministering  to  all  who  needed  his  services,  in  preach- 
ing, baptizing,  and  marrying,  on  his  way  down  the  great 
Ganges,  at  Benares,  at  Ghazipore,  where  he  met  with  '  the 
remains  '  of  his  old  67th  regiment,  at  Bhagulpore,  and  at 
Bandel,  where  he  called  on  the  Roman  Catholics,  on 
November  12  he  at  last  came  to  Aldeen. 

The  view  of  the  place  and  the  remembrance  of  what  had  passed  greatly 
affected  me.  ...  I  had  to  assist  in  administering  the  sacrament,  and  well  it 
was,  on  the  whole,  that  none  present  could  enter  into  my  feelings,  or  I  should 
have  been  overcome.'  Again  ;  '  How  would  it  have  rejoiced  the  heart  of 
Martyn  could  he  have  had  the  chief  authorities  associated,  by  order  of  Govern- 
ment, to  assist  him  in  the  work  of  education  ;  and  how  gladly  would  he  have 
made  himself  their  servant  in  the  work  for  Jesus'  sake  !  One  poor  blind  man 
who  lives  in  an  outhouse  of  Martyn's,  and  received  a  small  monthly  sum  from 
him,  often  comes  to  our  house,  and  affords  a  mournful  pleasure  in  reminding 
me  of  some  little  occurrence  of  those  times.  A  wealthy  native  too,  who  lived 
next  dooi  to  us,  sent  his  nephew  to  express  to  me  the  pleasure  he  derived  from 
his  acquaintance  with  Martyn.  These  are  all  the  traces  I  have  found  of  that 
"excellent  one  of  the  earth"  at  the  station.' 

In  1833  Corrie  was  again  at  Cawnpore,  which  had  two  chaplains  then,  and 
thus  wrote  :  '  October  b. — I  attended  Divine  service  at  the  church  bungalow, 
and  stood  up  once  more  in  Martyn's  pulpit.  The  place  is  a  little  enlarged. 
The  remembrance  of  Martyn  and  the  Sherwoods,  and  Mary  (his  sister),  with 
the  occupations  of  that  period,  came  powerfully  to  my  recollection,  and  I 
could  not  prevent  the  tears  from  flowing.  A  sense  of  the  forgiving  love  of 
God,  with  the  prospect  of  all  joining  in  thankful  adoration  in  the  realms  of 
bliss,  greatly  preponderates. 


CAWNPORE,   1809- 1 8  lo  313 

Children  jumping,  shouting,  and  convoying  me  in 
troops  to  the  house.  They  are  a  lovely  family  indeed,  and 
I  do  not  know  when  I  have  felt  so  delighted  as  at  family 
worship  last  night.  To-day  Mr.  Brown  and  myself  have 
been  consulting  at  the  Pagoda. 

After  four  years'  absence  he  seemed  a  dying  man  to  his 
Serampore  and  Calcutta  friends,  Brown,  Thomason,  Udny, 
and  Colonel  Young  of  Dinapore  memory.  But  he  was  ever 
cheerful,  and  he  preached  every  Sunday  for  five  weeks, 
though  in  \\\s,  Journal  v^o.  find  this  on  November  21  : 

Caught  a  cold,  and  kept  awake  much  of  the  night  by  a 
cough.  From  this  day  perhaps  I  may  date  my  decay. 
Nature  shrinks  from  dissolution,  and  conscience  trembles 
at  the  thought  of  a  judgment  to  come.  But  I  try  to 
rejoice  in  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Nof ember  25.  (Sunday.) — Preached  at  the  old  church, 
on  '  While  Paul  reasoned  of  righteousness,'  etc.  The 
Governor-General,  Lord  Minto,  was  present,  desiring,  as 
was  supposed,  to  abolish  the  distinction  which  had  been 
made  between  the  two  churches.  One  passage  in  my  ser- 
mon appeared  to  some  personal,  and  on  reconsideration 
I  thought  it  so  myself,  and  was  excessively  distressed 
at  having  given  causeless  offence,  and  perhaps  preventing 
much  good.  Lord  !  pardon  a  blind  creature.  How  much 
mischief  may  I  do  through  mere  thoughtlessness  ! 

December  2. — Preached  at  eight,  on  '  Grace  reigns,'  and 
was  favoured  with  strength  of  body  and  joy  of  heart  in 
proclaiming  the  glorious  truth. 

December  25. — Preached,  with  much  comfort  to  myself, 
on  'God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son,'  etc.  Mr.  Brown  on  '  Let  your  light  so  shine  before 
men,'  etc.  The  whole  sum  collected  about  seven  thousand 
rupees.  At  night  Mr.  Thomason  on  'Through  the  tender 
mercy  of  our  God,  whereby  the  dayspring  from  on  high 


314  HENRY  MARTYN 

hath  visited  us.'  This  day  how  many  of  those  who  love 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity  are  rejoicing  in  His  birth. 
My  dear  Lydia  remembers  me. 

December  2,1. — Had  a  long  dispute  with  Marshman, 
which  brought  on  pain  in  the  chest. 

He  opened  the  year  1811  by  preaching  for  the  new 
Calcutta  Auxiliary  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
his  published  sermon  on  Christian  India  and  the  Bible,  to 
be  read  in  the  light  of  his  own  translation  work  hereafter. 
He  thus  on  the  same  day  committed  himself  to  the  future 
in  the  spirit  of  St.  Paul  : 

181 1. — The  weakness  which  has  come  upon  me  in  the 
course  of  the  last  year,  if  it  should  not  give  an  entire  new 
turn  to  my  life,  is  likely  to  be  productive  of  events  in  the 
course  of  the  present  year  which  I  little  expected,  or  at 
least  did  not  expect  so  soon.  I  now  pass  from  India  to 
Arabia,  not  knowing  what  things  shall  befall  me  there  ;  but 
assured  that  an  ever-faithful  God  and  Saviour  will  be  with 
me  in  all  places  whithersoever  I  go.  May  He  guide  and 
protect  me,  and  after  prospering  me  in  the  thing 
whereunto  I  go,  bring  me  back  again  to  my  delightful 
work  in  India.  It  would  be  a  painful  thought  indeed, 
to  suppose  myself  about  to  return  no  more.  Having 
succeeded,  apparently,  through  His  blessing,  in  the  Hin- 
dustani New  Testament,  I  feel  much  encouraged,  and  could 
wish  to  be  spared  in  order  to  finish  the  Bible. 


315 


CHAPTER   VIII 

FROM   CALCUTTA   TO   CEYLON,   BOMBAY,   AND   ARABIA 

Two  motives  made  Henry  Martyn  eager  to  leave  India  for 
a  time,  and  to  cease  the  strain  on  his  fast-ebbing  strength, 
caused  by  incessant  preaching  and  speaking  :  he  desired 
to  prolong  his  life,  but  to  prolong  it  only  till  he  should  give 
the  Mohammedans  of  Arabia  and  Persia  the  Word  of  God 
in  their  own  tongues.  After  his  first,  almost  fatal,  attack 
at  Dinapore,  Corrie,  who  had  gone  to  help  him  in  his  duties, 
wrote  to  '  the  Patriarch,'  as  they  called  Mr.  Brown,  at 
Aldeen  :  '  He  wishes  to  be  spared  on  account  of  the  trans- 
lations, but  with  great  earnestness  said,  "  I  wish  to  have 
my  whole  soul  swallowed  up  in  the  will  of  God." '  Two 
years  after,  Corrie  wrote  to  England  from  Cawnpore  :  '  He 
is  going  to  try  sea  air.  May  God  render  it  effectual  to  his 
restoration.  His  life  is  beyond  all  price  to  us.  You  know 
what  a  profound  scholar  he  is,  and  all  his  acquirements  are 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  Christ.  If  ever  man,  since  St. 
Paul,  could  use  these  words,  he  may.  One  tJiing  I  do.  But 
the  length  of  his  life  will  depend  on  his  desisting  from 
public  duties.'  To  Martyn  himself,  when  at  last  he  had 
left  Cawnpore,  Corrie  wrote  :  '  If  you  will  not  take  rest, 
dear  brother,  come  away  back  ; '  informing  him,  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  had  returned  to  a  Colonel,  whom  he  had 
married,  i,6oo  rupees,  he  and  Martyn  having  resolved  to 
decline   all   fees  for  marrying  and  burying  in  India,  where 


3i6  HENRY  MARTYN 

such  were  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  morality  and 
religion,  constituted  as  Anglo-Indian  society  was  at  that 
time. 

When  he  was  leaving  Cawnpore,  Henry  Martyn  was 
about  to  destroy  what  he  called  '  a  number  of  memoran- 
dums,' These  afterwards  proved  to  be  his  Journals  from 
January  1803  to  181 1,  some  of  which  were  written  in  Latin, 
and  some  in  Greek,  for  greater  secrecy.  Corrie  remonstrated 
with  him,  and  persuaded  him  to  seal  them  up  and  leave 
them  in  his  hands.  Lord  Minto,  the  Governor-General,  and 
General  Hewett,  the  Commander-in-chief,  after  receiving  a 
statement  of  Martyn's  object,  gave  their  sanction  to  his 
spending  his  sick-leave  in  Persia  and  Syria.  At  first  the 
only  ship  he  could  find  bound  for  Bombay,  en  route  to  the 
Persian  Gulf,  was  one  of  the  native  buggalows  which  carried 
the  coasting  trade  in  the  days  before  the  British  India 
Steam  Navigation  Company  had  begun  to  develop  the 
commerce  of  the  Indian  Ocean  all  along  East  Africa, 
Southern  Asia,  the  Spice  Islands,  and  Australasia.  But 
he  wrote  to  Corrie  : 

i  The  captain  of  the  ship  after  many  excuses  has  at  last 
refused  to  take  me,  on  the  ground  that  I  might  try  to 
convert  the  Arab  sailors,  and  so  cause  a  mutiny  in  the 
ship.  So  I  am  quite  out  of  heart,  and  more  than  half 
disposed  to  go  to  the  right  about,  and  come  back  to 
Cawnpore. 

His  uncompromising  earnestness  as  a  witness  for  Christ 
was  well  known.  Fortunately,  a  month  after,  the  Honour- 
able Mountstuart  Elphinstone  '  was  proceeding  to  take  the 
residency  of  Poona,'  and  Martyn  secured  a  passage  in  the 
same  ship,  the  Hummoody,  an  Arab  coaster  belonging  to 


CALCUTTA    TO  CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA    317 

a  Muscat  merchant,  and  manned  by  his  Abyssinian  slave 
as  Nakhoda. 

His  last  message  to  Calcutta,  on  the  evening  of 
the  first  Sunday  of  the  year  181 1,  was  on  The  one  thing 
needful.  Next  morning  he  quietly  went  on  board  Mr. 
Elphinstone's  pinnace  '  without  taking  leave  of  my  two  dear 
friends  in  Calcutta.'  As  they  dropped  down  the  Hoogli, 
anchoring  for  two  nights  in  its  treacherous  waters,  his 
henceforth  brief  entries  in  his  Journal  are  these  :  *  8th.  Con- 
versation with  Mr.  Elphinstone,  and  disputes  with  his 
Persian  moulvi,  left  me  weak  and  in  pain.  9th.  Reached  the 
ship  at  Saugur,  and  began  to  try  my  strength  with  the 
Arab  sailors.'  He  found  that  the  country-born  captain, 
Kinsay,  had  been  brought  up  by  Schwartz,  and  he  obtained 
from  him  much  information  regarding  the  habits  and  the 
rule  of  the  Lutheran  apostle  of  Southern  India.  This  is 
new : 

It  was  said  that  Schwartz  had  a  warning  given  him  of 
his  death.  One  clear  moonlight  night  he  saw  a  light,  and 
heard  a  voice  which  said  to  him,  '  Follow  me.'  He  got  up 
and  went  to  the  door ;  here  the  vision  vanished.  The  next 
day  he  sent  for  Dr.  Anderson  and  said,  *  An  old  tree  must 
fall.'  On  the  doctor's  perceiving  there  was  nothing  the 
matter  with  him,  Schwartz  asked  him  whether  he  observed 
any  disorder  in  his  intellect ;  to  which  the  doctor  replied, 
'  No.'  He  and  General  Floyd  (now  in  Ireland),  another 
friend  of  Schwartz,  came  and  stayed  with  him.  The  next 
fifteen  days  he  was  continually  engaged  in  devotion,  and 
attended  no  more  to  the  school ;  on  the  last  day  he  died 
in  his  chair. 

Henry  Martyn  was  well  fitted  by  culture  and  training 
to  appreciate  the  society  of  such  statesmen  and  thinkers  as 


3i8  HEXRV  MARIYN 

Mountstuart  Elphinstone,  Sir  John  Malcolm,  Sir  James 
Mackintosh,  and  Jonathan  Duncan,  who  in  their  turn  de- 
lighted in  his  society  during  the  next  five  weeks.  Of  the 
first  he  wrote  to  Corrie :  '  His  agreeable  manners  and  classical 
acquirements  made  me  think  myself  fortunate  indeed 
in  having  such  a  companion,  and  I  found  his  company  the 
most  agreeable  circumstance  in  mj'  voyage.'  They  walked 
together  in  the  cinnamon  groves  of  Ceylon,  when  the  ship 
touched  at  Colombo  ;  together  they  talked  of  the  work  of 
Xavier  as  they  skirted  Cape  Comorin,  and  observed  Portu- 
guese churches  every  two  or  three  miles,  with  a  row  of 
huts  on  each  side.  '  Perhaps,'  he  wrote  in  his  Journal, 
'  many  of  these  poor  people,  with  all  the  incumbrances 
of  Popery,  are  moving  towards  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' 
Together  the  two  visited  old  Goa,  the  ecclesiastical  capital, 
its  convents  and  churches.  The  year  after  their  visit  the 
Goa  Inquisition,  one  of  the  cruellest  of  its  branches  since 
its  foundation,  was  suppressed.  Henry  Martyn's  letters 
to  Lydia  Grenfell  best  describe  his  experiences  and 
impressions : 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

At  Sea,  Coast  of  Malabar  :  Februar)-  4,  181 1. 

The  last  letter  I  wrote  to  you.  my  dearest  Lydia,  was 
dated  November  18 10.  I  continued  in  Calcutta  to  the 
end  of  the  year,  preaching  once  a  week,  and  reading  the 
Word  in  some  happy  little  companies,  with  whom  I  enjoyed 
that  sweet  communion  which  all  in  this  vale  of  tears  have 
reason  to  be  thankful  for,  but  especially  those  whose  lot  is 
cast  in  a  heathen  land.  On  New-year's  day,  at  Mr.  Brown's 
urgent  request,  I  preached  a  sermon  for  the  Bible  Society, 
recommending  an  immediate  attention  to  the  state  of  the 
native  Christians.     At  the  time  I  left  Calcutta  they  talked 


CALCUTTA    TO  CEVLOiV,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA    3x9 

of  forming  an  auxiliary  society.  Leaving  Calcutta  was  so 
much  like  leaving  England,  that  I  went  on  board  my  boat 
without  giving  them  notice,  and  so  escaped  the  pain  of 
bidding  them  farewell.  In  two  days  I  met  my  ship  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  and  we  put  to  sea  immediately.  Our 
ship  is  commanded  by  a  pupil  of  Schwartz,  and  manned 
by  Arabians,  Abyssinians,  and  others.  One  of  my  fellow- 
passengers  is  Mr.  Elphinstone,  who  was  lately  ambassador 
at  the  court  of  the  King  of  Cabul,  and  is  now  going  to  be 
resident  at  Poona,  the  capital  of  the  Mahratta  empire.  So 
the  group  is  rather  interesting,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  not 
averse  to  religious  instruction  ;  I  mean  the  Europeans. 
As  for  the  Asiatics,  they  are  in  language,  customs,  and 
religion,  as  far  removed  from  us  as  if  they  were  inhabitants 
of  another  planet.  I  speak  a  little  Arabic  sometimes  to 
the  sailors,  but  their  contempt  of  the  Gospel,  and  attach- 
ment to  their  own  superstition,  make  their  conversion 
appear  impossible.  How  stupendous  that  power  which 
can  make  these  people  the  followers  of  the  Lamb,  when 
they  so  nearly  resemble  Satan  in  pride  and  wickedness ! 
The  first  part  of  the  voyage  I  was  without  emplo}-ment, 
and  almost  without  thought,  suffering  as  usual  so  much 
from  sea  sickness,  that  I  had  not  spirits  to  do  anything  but 
sit  upon  the  poop,  surveying  the  wide  waste  of  waters  blue. 
This  continued  all  down  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  At  length  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Ceylon  we  found  smooth  water,  and 
came  to  an  anchor  off  Colombo,  the  principal  station  in 
the  island.  The  captain  having  proposed  to  his  passengers 
that  they  should  go  ashore  and  refresh  themselves  with  a 
walk  in  the  cinnamon  gardens,  Mr.  Elphinstone  and  myself 
availed  ourselves  of  the  offer,  and  went  off  to  inhale  the 
cinnamon  breeze.  The  walk  was  delightful.  The  huts  of 
the  natives,  who  are  (in  that  neighbourhood  at  least)  most 
of  them  Protestants,  are  built  in  thick  groves  of  cocoa- 
nut-tree,  with  openings  here  and  there,  discovering  the 
sea.     Everything  bore  the  appearance  of  contentment.     I 


320  HENRY  MARTYN 

contemplated  them  with  delight,  and  was  almost  glad  that  1 
could  not  speak  with  them,  lest  further  acquaintance  should 
have  dissipated  the  pleasing  ideas  their  appearance  gave 
birth  to.  In  the  gardens  I  cut  off  a  piece  of  the  bark  for 
you.  It  will  not  be  so  fragrant  as  that  which  is  properly 
prepared  ;  but  it  will  not  have  lost  its  fine  smell,  I  hope, 
when  it  reaches  you. 

At  Captain  Rodney's,  the  Chief  Secretary  to  Govern- 
ment, we  met  a  good  part  of  the  European  society  of 
Colombo.  The  party  was  like  most  mixed  parties  in 
England,  where  much  is  said  that  need  not  be  remembered. 
The  next  day  we  stretched  across  the  Gulf  of  Manaar,  and 
soon  came  in  sight  of  Cape  Comorin,  the  great  promontory 
of  India.  At  a  distance  the  green  waves  seemed  to  wash 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  but  on  a  nearer  approach  little 
churches  were  seen,  apparently  on  the  beach,  with  a  row  of 
little  huts  on  each  side.  Was  it  these  maritime  situations 
that  recalled  to  my  mind  Perran  church  and  town  in  the 
way  to  Gurlyn ;  or  that  my  thoughts  wander  too  often  on 
the  beach  to  the  east  of  Lamorran  }  You  do  not  tell  me 
whether  you  ever  walk  there,  and  imagine  the  billows  that 
break  at  your  feet  to  have  made  their  way  from  India. 
But  why  should  I  wish  to  know  .''  Had  I  observed  silence 
on  that  day  and  thenceforward,  I  should  have  spared  you 
much  trouble,  and  myself  much  pain.  Yet  I  am  far  from 
regretting  that  I  spoke,  since  I  am  persuaded  that  all 
things  will  work  together  for  good.  I  sometimes  try  to 
put  such  a  number  of  things  together  as  shall  produce  the 
greatest  happiness  possible,  and  I  find  that  even  in  imagina- 
tion I  cannot  satisfy  myself.  I  set  myself  to  see  what  is 
that  '  good  for  the  sons  of  men,  which  they  should  do 
under  heaven  all  the  days  of  their  life,'  and  I  find  that 
paradise  is  not  here.  Many  things  are  delightful,  some 
things  are  almost  all  one  could  wish  ;  but  yet  in  all  beauty 
there  is  deformity,  in  the  most  perfect  something  wanting, 
and  there  is  no  hope  of  its  ever  being  otherwise.    '  That 


CALCUTTA    TO  CEYLON^  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA    321 

which  is  crooked  cannot  be  made  straight,  and  that  w^hich 
is  wanting  cannot  be  numbered.'  So  that  the  expectation 
of  happiness  on  earth  seems  chimerical  to  the  last  degree. 
In  my  schemes  of  happiness  I  place  myself  of  course  with 
you,  blessed  with  great  success  in  the  ministry,  and  seeing 
all  India  turning  to  the  Lord.  Yet  it  is  evident  that  with 
these  joys  there  would  be  mingled  many  sorrows.  The 
care  of  all  the  churches  was  a  burden  to  the  mighty  mind 
of  St.  Paul.  As  for  what  we  should  be  together,  I  judge 
of  it  from  our  friends.  Are  they  quite  beyond  the  vexa- 
tions of  common  life  ?  I  think  not — still  I  do  not  say  that 
it  is  a  question  whether  they  gained  or  lost  by  marrying. 
Their  affections  will  live  when  ours  (I  should  rather  say 
mine)  are  dead.  Perhaps  it  may  not  be  the  effect  of  celi- 
bacy ;  but  I  certainly  begin  to  feel  a  wonderful  indifference 
to  all  but  myself  From  so  seldom  seeing  a  creature  thaTi 
cares  for  me,  and  never  one  that  depends  at  all  upon  me, 
I  begin  to  look  round  upon  men  with  reciprocal  apathy. 
It  sometimes  calls  itself  deadness  to  the  world,  but  I  much 
fear  that  it  is  deadness  of  heart.  I  am  exempt  from  worldly 
cares  myself,  and  therefore  do  not  feel  for  others.  Having 
got  out  of  the  stream  into  still  water,  I  go  round  and  round 
in  my  own  little  circle.  This  supposed  deterioration  you 
will  ascribe  to  my  humility ;  therefore  I  add  that  Mr. 
Brown  could  not  help  remarking  the  difference  between 
what  I  am  and  what  I  was,  and  observed  on  seeing  my 
picture,  which  was  taken  at  Calcutta  for  Mr.  Simeon,  and 
is  thought  a  striking  likeness,  that  it  was  not  Martyn  that 
arrived  in  India,  but  Martyn  the  recluse. 

February  10. — To-day  my  affections  seem  to  have  re- 
vived a  little.  I  have  been  often  deceived  in  times  past, 
and  erroneously  called  animal  spirits  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Yet  I  trust  that  I  can  say  with  truth,  '  To  them 
who  believe.  He  is  precious  ! '  Yes,  Thou  art  precious  to 
my  soul,  my  transport  and  my  trust.  No  thought  now  is 
so  sweet  as  that  which  those  words  suggest — '/«  Christ. 

y 


322  HENRY  MARTYN 

Our  destinies  thus  inseparably  united  with  those  of  the 
Son  of  God,  what  is  too  great  to  be  expected  ?  All  things 
are  yours,  for  ye  are  Christ's  !  We  may  ask  what  we  will, 
and  it  shall  be  given  to  us.  Now,  why  do  I  ever  lose  sight 
of  Him,  or  fancy  myself  without  Him,  or  try  to  do  anything 
without  Him  ?  Break  off  a  branch  from  a  tree,  and  how 
long  will  it  be  before  it  withers  ?  To-day,  my  beloved 
sister,  I  rejoice  in  you  before  the  Lord,  I  rejoice  in  you  as 
a  member  of  the  mystic  body,  I  pray  that  your  prayers  for 
one  who  is  unworthy  of  your  remembrance  may  be  heard, 
and  bring  down  tenfold  blessings  on  yourself  How  good 
is  the  Lord  in  giving  me  grace  to  rejoice  with  His  chosen 
all  over  the  earth  ;  even  with  those  who  are  at  this  moment 
going  up  with  the  voice  of  joy  and  praise,  to  tread  His  courts 
and  sing  His  praise.  There  is  not  an  object  about  me  but 
is  depressing.  Yet  my  heart  expands  with  delight  at  the 
presence  of  a  gracious  God,  and  the  assurance  that  my 
separation  from  His  people  is  only  temporary. 

On  the  7th  we  landed  at  Goa,  the  capital  of  the  Portu- 
guese possessions  in  the  East.  I  reckoned  much  on  my 
visit  to  Goa,  expecting,  from  its  being  the  residence  of  the 
archbishop  and  many  ecclesiastics,  that  I  should  obtain  such 
information  about  the  Christians  in  India  as  would  render 
it  superfluous  to  make  inquiries  elsewhere,  but  I  was  much 
disappointed.  Perhaps  it  was  owing  to  our  being  accom- 
panied by  several  officers,  English  and  Portuguese,  that 
the  archbishop  and  his  principal  agents  would  not  be  seen  ; 
but  so  it  was,  that  I  scarcely  met  with  a  man  who  could 
make  himself  intelligible.  We  are  shown  what  strangers 
are  usually  shown,  the  churches  and  monasteries,  but  I 
wanted  to  contemplate  man,  the  only  thing  on  earth  almost 
that  possesses  any  interest  for  me.  I  beheld  the  stupendous 
magnificence  of  their  noble  churches  without  emotion,  ex- 
cept to  regret  that  the  Gospel  was  not  preached  in  them. 
In  one  of  the  monasteries  we  saw  the  tomb  of  Francis 
Xavier,  the  Apostle  of  India,  most  richly  ornamented,  as 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     323 

u-ell  as  the  room  in  which  it  stands,  with  paintings  and 
figures  in  bronze,  done  in  Italy.  The  friar  who  showed  us 
the  tomb,  happening  to  speak  of  the  grace  of  God  in  the 
heart,  without  which,  said  he,  as  he  held  the  sacramental 
wafer,  the  body  of  Christ  profits  nothing,  I  began  a  con- 
versation with  him,  which,  however,  came  to  nothing. 

We  visited  among  many  other  places  the  convent  of 
nuns.  After  a  long  altercation  with  the  lady  porter  we 
were  admitted  to  the  antechamber,  in  which  was  the  grate, 
a  window  with  iron  bars,  behind  which  the  poor  prisoners 
make  their  appearance.  While  my  companions  were  pur- 
chasing their  trinkets  I  was  employed  in  examining  their 
countenances,  which  I  did  with  great  attention.  In  what 
possible  way,  thought  I,  can  you  support  existence,  if  you 
do  not  find  your  happiness  in  God  .''  They  all  looked  ill 
and  discontented,  those  at  least  whose  countenances  ex- 
pressed anything.  One  sat  by  reading,  as  if  nothing  were 
going  on.  I  asked  to  see  the  book,  and  it  was  handed 
through  the  grate.  Finding  that  it  was  a  Latin  prayer- 
book,  I  wrote  in  Latin  something  about  the  love  of  the 
world,  which  seclusion  from  it  would  not  remove.  The 
Inquisition  is  still  existing  at  Goa.  We  were  not  admitted 
as  far  as  Dr.  Buchanan  was,  to  the  Hall  of  Examination, 
and  that  because  he  printed  something  against  the  inquisi- 
tors which  came  to  their  knowledge.  The  priest  in  waiting 
acknowledged  that  they  had  some  prisoners  within  the 
walls,  and  defended  the  practice  of  imprisoning  and  chas- 
tising offenders,  on  the  ground  of  its  being  conformed  to 
the  custom  of  the  Primitive  Church.  We  were  told  that 
when  the  officers  of  the  Inquisition  touch  an  individual, 
and  beckon  him  away,  he  dares  not  resist  ;  if  he  does  not 
come  out  again,  no  one  must  ask  about  him  ;  if  he  does,  he 
must  not  tell  what  was  done  to  him. 

February  18. — (Bombay.)  Thus  far  I  am  brought  in 
safety.  On  this  day  I  complete  my  thirtieth  year.  '  Here 
I   raise  my   Ebenezcr  ;    Hither   by  Thy  help  I'm  come.' 

V  2 


324  HENRY  MARTYN 

27th.  It  is  sweet  to  reflect  that  we  shall  at  last  reach  our 
home.  I  am  here  amongst  men  who  are  indeed  aliens  to 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel  and  without  God  in  the  world. 
I  hear  many  of  those  amongst  whom  I  live  bring  idle 
objections  against  religion,  such  as  I  have  answered  a 
hundred  times.  How  insensible  are  men  of  the  world  to 
all  that  God  is  doing  I  How  unconscious  of  His  purposes 
concerning  His  Church!  How  incapable,  seemingly,  of  com- 
prehending the  existence  of  it !  I  feel  the  meaning  of  St. 
Paul's  words — *  Hath  abounded  toward  us  in  all  wisdom 
and  prudence,  having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  of 
His  will,  that  He  would  gather  in  one  all  things  in  Christ.' 
Well !  let  us  bless  the  Lord.  *  All  thy  children  shall  be 
taught  of  the  Lord,  and  great  shall  be  the  peace  of  thy 
children.'  In  a  few  days  I  expect  to  sail  for  the  Gulf  of 
Persia  in  one  of  the  Company's  sloops  of  war. 

Farewell,  my  beloved  Lydia,  and  believe  me  to  be  ever 
yours  most  affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 

All  through  the  voyage,  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  the 
Indian  Ocean,  the  scholar  was  busy  with  his  books,  the 
Hebrew  Old  Testament,  '  reading  Turkish  grammar,  Nie- 
huhr's  Aradia,  making  extracts  from  Maracci's  Refutation  of 
theKoran,m  general  reading  the  Word  of  God  with  pleasure.' 

February  10.  (Sunday.) — Somewhat  of  a  happy 
Sabbath ;  I  enjoyed  communion  with  the  saints,  though  far 
removed  from  them ;  service  morning  and  night  in  the  cabin. 

January  14  to  17. — When  sitting  on  the  poop  Mr. 
Elphinstone  kindly  entertained  me  with  information  about 
India,  the  politics  of  which  he  has  had  such  opportunities 
of  making  himself  acquainted  with.  The  Afghans,  to 
whom  he  went  as  ambassador,  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of 
alliance  in  case  of  invasion  by  the  French,  possess  a  tract 
of  country  considerably  larger  than  Great  Britain,  using 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     325 

the  Persian  and  Pushtu  languages.  Their  chief  tribe  is  the 
Doorani,  from  which  the  king  is  elected.  Shah  Zeman 
was  dethroned  by  his  half-brother  Mahmood,  governor  of 
Herat,  who  put  out  his  eyes.  Shah  Zeman's  younger 
brother  Shoujjah  took  up  arms,  and  after  several  defeats 
established  himself  for  a  time.  He  was  on  the  throne 
when  Mr.  Elphinstone  visited  him,  but  since  that 
Mahmood  has  begun  to  dispute  the  sovereignty  with  him. 
Mr.  Elphinstone  has  been  with  Holkar  and  Sindia  a 
good  deal.  Holkar  he  described  as  a  little  spitfire,  his 
general,  Meer  Khan,  possessed  abilities  ;  Sindia  none ; 
the  Rajah  of  Berar  the  most  politic  of  the  native  powers, 
though  the  Nizam  the  most  powerful  ;  the  influence  of 
residents  at  Nagpoor  and  Hyderabad  very  small. 

February  17. — Mostly  employed  in  writing  the  Arabic 
tract,  also  in  reading  the  Koran  ;  a  book  of  geography 
in  Arabic,  ^.nd  Jami  Abbari  in  Persian. 

I  would  that  all  should  adore,  but  especially  that  I 
myself  should  He  prostrate.  As  for  self,  contemptible  self, 
I  feel  myself  saying,  let  it  be  forgotten  for  ever;  henceforth 
let  Christ  live,  let  Christ  reign,  let  Him  be  glorified  for  ever. 

February  18. — Came  to  anchor  at  Bombay.  This  day' 
I  finish  the  30th  year  of  my  unprofitable  life,  an  age  in 
which  Brainerd  had  finished  his  course.  He  gained  about 
a  hundred  savages  to  the  Gospel ;  I  can  scarcely  number  the 
twentieth  part.  If  I  cannot  act,  and  rejoice,  and  love  with 
the  ardour  some  did,  oh,  let  me  at  least  be  holy,  and  sober, 
and  wise.  I  am  now  at  the  age  at  which  the  Saviour  of 
men  began  His  ministry,  and  at  which  John  the  Baptist 
called  a  nation  to  repentance.  Let  me  now  think  for  myself 
and  act  with  energy.  Hitherto  I  have  made  my  youth 
and  insignificance  an  excuse  for  sloth  and  imbecility  :  now 
let  me  have  a  character,  and  act  boldly  for  God. 

February  19. — Went  on  shore.  Waited  on  the  Governor, 
and  was  kindly  accommodated  with  a  room  at  the  Govern- 
ment House. 


326  HENRY  MARTYN 

The  Governor  was  the  good  Jonathan  Duncan,  in  the 
last  year  of  his  long  administration  and  of  his  benevolent 
life.  In  the  first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  Bombay 
was  a  comparatively  little  place,  but  the  leaders  of  its 
English  society  were  all  remarkable  men.  In  the  short 
time,  even  then,  Bombay  had  become  the  political  and 
social  centre  of  all  the  Asiatics  and  Africans,  from  Higher 
Asia,  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  Arabia,  to  Abyssinia,  Zanzibar, 
and  the  Comoro  Isles  ;  especially  had  it  then  begun  to  be 
what  every  generation  since  has  made  it  more  and  more, 
the  best  centre  from  which  to  direct  a  Christian  mission  to 
the  Mohammedans.  With  Poona,  it  is  the  capital  of  the 
most  subtle  and  unimpressionable  class,  the  Marathi 
Brahmans,  and  it  is  the  point  from  which  most  widely  to 
influence  the  Parsees.  But  as  a  base  of  operations  against 
Islam  it  has  never  yet  been  fully  used  or  appreciated.  The 
late  Hon.  Ion  Keith-Falconer  preferred  Aden,  or  the  neigh- 
bouring village  of  Sheikh  Othman,  the  British  door  into 
Arabia,  of  which  he  took  possession  for  the  Master  by  there 
laying  down  his  life  in  the  ripeness  of  his  years,  his  scholar- 
ship, and  his  prosperity.  But  even  in  Arabia  such  work 
may  be  directed  from  Bombay.  The  city,  like  its  harbour 
for  commerce,  stands  without  a  rival  as  a  missionary  and 
civilising  focus.  Henry  Martyn  spent  his  weeks  there 
in  mastering  the  needs  of  its  varied  races  and  religionists, 
Jewish  and  Arabic,  Persian  and  Brahman,  talking  with  re- 
presentative men  of  all  the  cults,  and  striving  to  influence 
them.  He  kept  steadily  in  view  his  duty  to  the  Moham- 
medans, writing  his  Arabic  tract,  and  consulting  as  to  his 
Persian  translation  of  the  Scriptures.  It  was  not  given  to 
him  to  remain  there.  Dr.  Taylor,  whom  he  had  joined  with 
Brown  and  the  Serampore  Brotherhood  at  Aldeen  in  com- 


CALCUTTA    TO  CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABLA    327 

mending  to  God,  was  hard  at  work  on  the  Malayalim  New 
Testament,  and  he  often  visited  the  press  to  see  the  sacreJ 
work  in  progress.  It  was  to  be  the  Hfe  task  of  the  Scottish 
Dr.  John  Wilson,  twenty  years  after,  to  use  Bombay  as 
the  missionary  key  of  the  peoples  who  border  the  Indian 
Ocean. 

The  friend  of  Mountstuart  Elphinstone  and  guest  of 
the  Governor,  Henry  Martyn  was  welcomed  by  the  literary 
society  of  the  city,  which  at  that  time  was  unrivalled  in 
the  East.  It  is  fortunate  that  we  thus  obtain  an  im- 
partial estimate  of  his  personal  character  and  scholarship 
from  such  men  as  Elphinstone,  Mackintosh,  and  Malcolm. 
In  their  journals  and  letters,  written  with  all  the  frankness 
of  private  friendship,  we  see  the  consistent  and  ever- watch- 
ful saint,  but  at  the  same  time  the  lively  talker,  the 
brilliant  scholar,  and,  above  all,  the  genial  companion  and 
even  merry  comrade.  Since  he  had  left  Cambridge  Henry 
Martyn  had  not  enjoyed  society  like  this,  able  to  appreciate 
his  many-sided  gifts,  and  to  call  forth  his  natural  joyfulness. 
In  Bombay  we  see  him  at  his  best  all  round  as  man, 
scholar,  saint,  and  missionary. 

In  Sir  T.  E.  Colebrooke's  Life  of  that  most  eminent 
Indian  statesman  who  twice  refused  the  crown  of  the 
Governor-General,^  we  find  Mountstuart  Elphinstone 
writing  thus  to  his  friend  Strachey :  *  We  have  in  Mr. 
Martyn  an  excellent  scholar,  and  one  of  the  mildest,  / 
cheerfullest,  and  pleasantest  men  I  ever  saw.  He  is  ex- 
tremely religious,  and  disputes  about  the  faith  with  the 
Nakhoda,  but  talks  on  all  subjects,  sacred  and  profane, 
and  makes  others  laugh  as  heartily  as  he  could  do  if  he 
were  an  infidel.     We  have  people  who  speak  twenty-five 

*  In  two  volumes  (John  Murray),  1884,  see  p.  231,  vol.  i. 


328  HENRY  MARTYN 

languages  (not  apiece)  in  the  ship.'  Again,  in  his  Journal 
of  July  lO,  1811,  Elphinstone  has  this  entry:  'Mr.  Martyn 
has  proved  a  far  better  companion  than  I  reckoned  on, 
though  my  expectations  were  high.  His  zeal  is  unabated, 
but  it  is  not  troublesome,  and  he  does  not  press  disputes 
and  investigate  creeds.  He  is  familiar  with  Greek  and 
Latin,  understands  French  and  Italian,  speaks  Persian  and 
Arabic,  has  translated  the  Scriptures  into  Hindustani,  and 
is  translating  the  Old  Testament  from  Hebrew.  He  was 
an  eminent  mathematician  even  at  Cambridge,  and,  what 
is  of  more  consequence,  he  is  a  man  of  good  sense  and 
taste,  and  simple  in  his  manners  and  character,  and  cheer- 
ful in  his  conversation.'  He  who,  in  the  close  intimacy 
of  shipboard  life  in  the  tropics,  could  win  that  eulogy 
from  a  critic  so  lofty  and  so  experienced,  must  have 
been  at  once  more  human  and  more  perfect  than  his 
secret  Journal^  taken  alone,  has  led  its  readers  to  believe 
possible. 

Sir  John  Malcolm,  fresh  from  his  second  mission  to 
Persia,  was  writing  his  great  History  of  Persia  in  the  quiet 
of  Parell  and  Malabar  Hill,  with  the  help  of  the  invaluable 
criticism  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh,  whom  he  described  to  his 
brother  Gilbert  as  *  a  very  extraordinary  man.'  Malcolm 
introduced  Mackintosh  and  Elphinstone  to  each  other,  and 
Elphinstone  lost  not  a  day  in  taking  Martyn  to  call  on 
the  Recorder.  Although  the  distinguished  Scots  High- 
lander, who  had  become  the  admiring  friend  of  Robert 
Hall  when  they  were  fellow  students  at  Aberdeen  Univer- 
sity, was  in  full  sympathy  with  missionary  enthusiasm,  and 
condemned  the  intolerance  of  the  East  India  Company,^ 

'  Memoirs,  edited  by  his  son,  second  edition,  London  (Moxon),  1836.    See 
rol.  ii.  pp.  86,  268. 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,   BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     329 

Martyn  and  he  did    not  at  first  '  cotton '  to   each   other. 
The  former  wrote  thus  of  him  : 

181 1,  February  22. — Talked  a  good  deal  with  the 
Governor  about  my  intended  journey. 

February  23. — Went  with  him  to  his  residence  in  the 
country,  and  at  night  met  a  large  party,  amongst  whom 
were  Sir  J.  Mackintosh  and  General  Malcolm  :  with  Sir 
James  I  had  some  conversation  on  different  subjects ;  he 
was  by  no  means  equal  to  my  expectations. 

Mackintosh's  account  of  their  first  interview  was  this  : 

February  24.  (Sunday.) — Elphinstone  introduced  me 
to  a  young  clergyman  called  Martyn,  come  round  from 
Bengal  on  his  way  to  Bussora,  partly  for  health  and  partly 
to  improve  his  Arabic,  as  he  is  translating  the  Scriptures 
into  that  language.  He  seems  to  be  a  mild  and  benevolent 
enthusiast — a  sort  of  character  with  which  I  am  always 
half  in  love.  We  had  the  novelty  of  grace  before  and 
after  dinner,  all  the  company  standing. 

Again,  a  week  after : 

March  i. — Mr.  Martyn,  the  saint  from  Calcutta,  called 
here.  He  is  a  man  of  acuteness  and  learning ;  his  meek- 
ness is  excessive,  and  gives  a  disagreeable  impression  of 
effort  to  conceal  the  passions  of  human  nature. 

Both  had  the  Celtic  fire,  but  Sir  James  Mackintosh  had 
not  lived  with  Sabat.  Another  month  passed,  and  the 
two  were  learning  to  appreciate  each  other. 

Padre  Martyn,  the  saint,  dined  here  in  the  evening  ;  it 
was  a  very  considerably  more  pleasant  evening  than  usual ; 
he  is  a  mild  and  ingenious  man.  We  had  two  or  three 
hours'  good  discussion  on  grammar  and  metaphysics. 


330  HENRY  MARTYN 

Henry  Martyn's  growing  appreciation  of  Mackintosh  is 
seen  in  this  later  passage  in  h\s  Journal: 

i8ri,  Match  i. — Called  on  Sir  J.  Mackintosh,  and 
found  his  conversation,  as  it  is  generally  said  to  be,  very 
instructive  and  entertaining.  He  thought  that  the  world 
would  be  soon  Europeanised,  in  order  that  the  Gospel 
might  spread  over  the  world.  He  observed  that  caste  was 
broken  down  in  Egypt,  and  the  Oriental  world  made  Greek 
by  the  successors  of  Alexander,  in  order  to  make  way  for 
the  religion  of  Christ.  He  thought  that  little  was  to  be 
apprehended,  and  little  hoped  for,  from  the  exertions  of 
missionaries.  Called  at  General  Malcolm's,  and  though  I 
did  not  find  him  at  home,  was  very  well  rewarded  for  my 

trouble  in  getting  to  his  house,  by  the  company  of  Mr. , 

lately  from  R.  Dined  at  Parish's  with  a  party  of 
some  very  amiable  and  well-behaved  young  men.  What 
a  remarkable  difference  between  the  old  inhabitants  of 
India  and  the  new-comers.  This  is  owing  to  the  number 
of  religious  families  in  England. 

March  4. — Dined  at  General  Malcolm's,  who  gave  me 
a  Chaldee  missal.  Captain  Stewart,  who  had  accompanied 
him  as  his  secretary  into  Persia,  gave  me  much  information 
about  the  learned  men  of  Ispahan. 

March  8. —  Spent  the  first  part  of  the  day  at  General 
Malcolm's,  who  gave  me  letters  of  introduction  and  some 
queries  respecting  the  wandering  tribes  of  Persia. 

The  reference  to  young  Mr.  Parish,  is  to  one  who 
afterwards  became  interim  Governor  of  Bombay,  and  the 
friend  of  John  Wilson,  and  who,  because  he  taught  a  class 
in  the  Sunday  School  that  used  to  meet  in  the  Town  Hall, 
was  for  the  time  an  object  of  suspicion  and  attack  by 
the  Parsees  and  Hindus,  on  the  baptism  of  Dhanjibhai 
Naoroji,  the  first  Parsee  to  put  on  Christ' 
'  TheLifeofJohi  Wilson,  D.D.,F.E.S.  (John  Murray),  2nd  edit.,  p.  137. 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     331 

On  Malcolm,  according  to  Sir  John  Kaye,  his  biogra- 
pher,' the  young  Christian  hero  appears  to  have  made  a 
more  favourable  impression  than  on  Mackintosh.  Per- 
haps the  habitual  cheerfulness  of  his  manner  communicated 
itself  to  the  '  saint  from  Calcutta,'  of  whom  he  wrote  to  Sir 
Gore  Ouseley,  the  British  ambassador,  that  he  was  likel)- 
to  add  to  the  hilarity  of  his  party. 

He  requested  me  to  give  him  a  line  to  the  Governor  of 
Bushire,  which  I  did,  as  well  as  one  to  Mahomed  Nebbee 
Khan,  But  I  warned  him  not  to  move  from  Bushire  with- 
out your  previous  sanction.  His  intention  is,  I  believe, 
to  go  by  Shiraz,  Ispahan,  and  Kermanshah  to  Baghdad, 
and  to  endeavour  on  that  route  to  discover  some  ancient 
copies  of  the  Gospel,  which  he  and  many  other  saints  are 
persuaded  lie  hid  in  the  mountains  of  Persia.  Mr.  Martyn 
also  expects  to  improve  himself  as  an  Oriental  scholar  ;  he 
is  already  an  excellent  one.  His  knowledge  of  Arabic  is 
superior  to  that  of  any  Englishman  in  India.  He  is  alto- 
gether a  very  learned  and  cheerful  man,  but  a  great  enthu- 
siast in  his  holy  calling.  He  has,  however,  assured  me, 
and  begged  I  would  mention  it  to  you,  that  he  has  no 
thought  of  preaching  to  the  Persians,  or  of  entering  into 
any  theological  controversies,  but  means  to  confine  himself 
to  two  objects — a  research  after  old  Gospels,  and  the  en 
deavour  to  qualify  himself  for  giving  a  correct  version  of 
the  Scriptures  into  Arabic  and  Persian,  on  the  plan  pro- 
posed by  the  Bible  Society. 

I  have  not  hesitated  to  tell  him  that  I  thought  you 
would  require  that  he  should  act  with  great  caution,  and 
not  allow  his  zeal  to  run  away  with  him.  He  declares  he 
will  not,  and  he  is  a  man  of  that  character  that  I  must 
believe.  I  am  satisfied  that  if  you  ever  see  him,  you  will 
be  pleased  with  him.     He  will  give  you  grace  before  and 

'  Lije  and  Correspo7idence,  vol.  ii.  p.  65  (Smith,  Elder  &  Co.),  1856. 


332  HENRY  MARTYN 

after  dinner,  and  admonish  such  of  your  party  as  take  the 
Lord's  name  in  vain  ;  but  his  good  sense  and  great  learn- 
ing will  delight  you,  whilst  his  constant  cheerfulness  will 
add  to  the  hilarity  of  your  party. 

In  such  social  intercourse  in  the  evening,  in  constant 
interviews  and  discussions  with  Jews  and  Mohammedans, 
Parsees  and  Hindus,  during  the  day,  and  in  frequent 
preaching  for  the  chaplains,  the  weeks  passed  all  too 
rapidly.  A  ropemaker  who  had  just  arrived  from  London 
called  on  him.  '  He  understood  from  my  preaching  that 
he  might  open  his  heart  to  me.  We  conversed  and  prayed 
together.'  Against  this  and  the  communion  with  young 
Parish  and  his  fellows,  we  must  set  the  action  of  those 
whom  he  thus  describes  in  a  letter  to  Corrie: 

1811,  February  26. — Peacefully  preaching  the  Word  of 
life  to  a  people  daily  edified  is  the  nearest  approach  to 
heaven  below.  But  to  move  from  place  to  place,  hurried 
away  without  having  time  to  do  good,  is  vexatious  to  the 
spirit  as  well  as  harassing  to  the  body.  Hearing  last 
Saturday  that  some  sons  of  Belial,  members  of  the  Bapre 
Hunt,'  intended  to  have  a  great  race  the  following  day,  I 
informed  Mr.  Duncan,  at  whose  house  I  was  staying,  and 
recommended  the  interference  of  the  secular  arm.  He 
accordingly  sent  to  forbid  it.  The  messengers  of  the  Bapre 
Hunt  were  exceedingly  exasperated  ;  some  came  to  church 
expecting  to  hear  a  sermon  against  hunting,  but  I  merely 
preached  to  them  on  '  the  one  thing  needful.'  Finding 
nothing  to  lay  hold  of,  they  had  the  race  on  Monday,  and 
ran  Hypocrite  against  Martha  and  Mary. 

'  Bapre=^  O  Father  !'  the  exclamation  of  Hindus  when  in  surprise  or 
grief ;  hence  a  noise  or  row ;  hence  a  Bobbery-pack  or  hunt  is  the  Anglo- 
Indian  for  a  pack  of  hounds  of  different  breeds,  or  no  breed,  wherewith  young 
officers  hunt  jackals  or  the  like.  See  the  late  Colonel  Sir  Henry  Y\Aq'&  Uobson- 
/obson,  or  Anglo-Indian  Glossary  (John  Murray),  1886. 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,   BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     333 

His  last  message  to  India,  from  the  '  faithful  saying'  of 
I  Timothy  i.  15,  was  misunderstood  and  resented,  as  his 
first  sermon  in  Calcutta  had  been  in  similar  circumstances. 

March  24.  (Sunday). — Speaking  on  the  evidence  of 
its  truth,  I  mentioned  its  constant  efficacy  in  collecting  the 
multitude,  and  commanding  their  attention,  which  moral 
discourses  never  did.  This  was  considered  as  a  reflection 
on  the  ministers  of  Bombay,  which  distressed  me  not  a 
little. 

Henry  Martyn  was  granted  a  passage  to  Arabia  and 
Persia  in  the  Benares,  Captain  Sealey,  one  of  the  ships  of 
the  old  Indian  Navy,  ordered  to  cruise  along  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales  in  the  Persian  Gulf  At  that  time  the 
danger  was  considerable.  For  a  century  the  Joasmi  Arabs, 
of  '  the  pirate  coast '  of  Oman,  had  been  the  terror  of  the 
Persian  Gulf  and  the  Indian  Ocean,  driving  off  even  the 
early  Portuguese,  and  confining  the  Persians,  then  invulner- 
able by  land,  to  their  own  shores.  The  Wahabee  puritans 
of  Islam  having  mastered  them,  they  added  to  their  own 
bloodthirsty  love  of  plunder  and  the  slave-trade  the  fana- 
ticism of  Mohammed-ibn-Abdul-Wahab,  the  '  bestower  of 
blessings,'  as  the  name  signifies.  The  East  India  Company 
tolerated  them,  retaining  two  or  three  ships  of  war  in  the 
Gulf  for  the  protection  of  the  factories  at  Gombroon, 
Bushire,  and  Busrah.  But,  in  an  evil  moment,  in  the 
year  1797,  the  Joasmi  pirates  dared  to  seize  a  British 
vessel.  From  that  hour  their  fate  was  sealed,  though  the 
process  of  clearing  the  southern  coast  of  Asia  of  pirates 
and  slavers  ended  only  with  the  accession  of  Queen 
Victoria,  in  the  year  when  Aden  was  added  to  the  empire. 
In   1809-10  the  Bombay  Government  expedition,  under 


334  HENRY  MARTYN 

Commodore  John  Wainwright,  captured  their  stronghold 
of  Ras-ul-Khymah,  delivered  our  feudatory  of  Muscat 
from  their  terrorism,  and  gave  the  Gulf  peace  for  ten 
years.  The  two  ships  of  war  which  conveyed  the  chaplain 
missionary  with  his  message  of  peace  to  Eastern  Arabia 
and  Persia  were  sent  to  complete  the  work  of  the  Wain- 
wright expedition/  which  had  been  summoned  by  Lord 
Minto  to  the  conquest  of  Java.  Henry  Martyn  acted  as 
chaplain  to  the  forty-five  sailors  and  twelve  artillerymen 
who  formed  the  European  part  of  the  crew  of  the  Benares, 
lifter  two  days  at  Muscat  he  tells  the  story  of  his  voyage : 

To  LvDiA  Grenfell 

Muscat:  April  22,  181 1. 

My  dearest  Lydia, — I  am  now  in  Arabia  Felix :  to  judge 
from  the  aspect  of  the  country  it  has  little  pretensions  to 
the  name,  unless  burning  barren  rocks  convey  an  idea  of 
felicity  ;  but  perhaps  as  there  is  a  promise  in  reserve  for 
the  sons  of  Joktan,  their  land  may  one  day  be  blest 
indeed. 

We  sailed  from  Bombay  on  Lady-day ;  and  on  the 
morning  of  Easter  saw  the  land  of  Mekran  in  Persia.  After 
another  week's  sail  across  the  mouth  of  the  Gulf,  we  arrived 
here,  and  expect  to  proceed  up  the  Gulf  to  Bushire,  as  soon 
as  we  have  taken  in  our  water.  You  will  be  happy  to  learn 
that  the  murderous  pirates  against  whom  we  were  sent, 
having  received  notice  of  our  approach,  are  all  got  out  of 
the  way,  so  that  I  am  no  longer  liable  to  be  shot  in  a  battle, 
or  to  decapitation  after  it,  if  it  be  lawful  to  judge  from 
appearances.  These  pestilent  Ishmaelites  indeed,  whose  ^ 
hand  is  against  every  man's,  will  escape,  and  the  commu- 
nity suffer,  but  that  selfish  friendship  of  which  you  once 

'  C.  R.  Low's  History  of  the  Indian  Navy,  chapter  x.  vol.  i.   (Richard 
Bentley),  1877. 


CALCUTTA    TO  CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA    335 

confessed  yourself  guilty,  will  think  only  of  the  preservation 
of  a  friend.  This  last  marine  excursion  has  been  the 
pleasantest  I  ever  made,  as  I  have  been  able  to  pursue  my 
studies  with  less  interruption  than  when  ashore.  My  little 
congregation  of  forty  or  fifty  Europeans  does  not  try  my 
strength  on  Sundays  ;  and  my  two  companions  are  men 
who  read  their  Bible  every  day.  In  addition  to  all  these 
comforts,  I  have  to  bless  God  for  having  kept  me  more 
than  usually  free  from  the  sorrowful  mind.  We  must  not 
always  say  with  Watts,  '  The  sorrows  of  the  mind  be 
banished  from  the  place  ; '  but  if  freedom  from  trouble 
be  offered  us,  we  may  choose  it  rather.  I  do  not  know 
anything  more  delightful  than  to  meet  with  a  Christian 
brother,  where  only  strangers  and  foreigners  were  expected. 
This  pleasure  I  enjoyed  just  before  leaving  Bombay ;  a 
ropemaker  who  had  just  come  from  England,  understood 
from  my  sermon  that  I  was  one  he  might  speak  to,  so  he 
came  and  opened  his  heart,  and  we  rejoiced  together.  In 
this  ship  I  find  another  of  the  household  of  faith.  In  an- 
other ship  which  accompanies  us  there  are  two  Armenians 
who  do  nothing  but  read  the  Testament.  One  of  them  will 
I  hope  accompany  me  to  Shiraz  in  Persia,  which  is  his 
native  country. 

We  are  likely  to  be  detained  here  some  days,  but  the 
ship  that  will  carry  our  letters  to  India  sails  immediately, 
so  that  I  can  send  but  one  letter  to  England,  and  one  to 
Calcutta.  When  will  our  correspondence  be  established  ? 
I  have  been  trying  to  effect  it  these  six  years,  and  it  is  only 
yet  in  train.  Why  there  was  no  letter  from  you  in  those 
dated  June  and  July  18 10,  I  cannot  conjecture,  except 
that  you  had  not  received  any  of  mine,  and  would  write 
no  more.  But  I  am  not  yet  without  hopes  that  a  letter 
in  the  beloved  hand  will  yet  overtake  me  somewhere.  My 
kindest  and  most  affectionate  remembrances  to  all  the 
Western  circle.  Is  it  because  he  is  your  brother  that  I  love 
George  so  much  ?  or  because  he  is  the  last  come  into  the 


J36  HENRY  MARTYN 

number?  The  angels  love  and  wait  upon  the  righteous 
who  need  no  repentance  ;  but  there  is  joy  whenever  another 
heir  of  salvation  is  born  into  the  family.  Read  Eph.  i. 
I  cannot  wish  you  all  these  spiritual  blessings,  since  they 
already  are  all  yours  ;  but  I  pray  that  we  may  have  the 
spirit  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  to  know  that  they  are  ours. 
It  is  a  chapter  I  keep  in  mind  every  day  in  prayer.  We 
cannot  believe  too  much  or  hope  too  much.  Happy  our 
eyes  that  they  see,  and  our  ears  that  they  hear. 

As  it  may  be  a  year  or  more  before  I  shall  be  back,  you 
may  direct  one  letter  after  receiving  this,  if  it  be  not  of  a 
very  old  date,  to  Bombay,  all  after  to  Bengal,  as  usual. 
Believe  me  to  be  ever,  my  dearest  Lydia,  your  most 
affectionate 

H.  Martyn. 

April  22.  — Landed  at  Muscat  with  Lockett  and  walked 
through  the  bazaar  ;  we  wished  to  ascend  one  of  the  hills 
in  the  neighbourhood,  but  on  the  native  guards  expressing 
disapprobation,  we  desisted. 

We  turn  to  her  Diary  for  the  corresponding  passage. 

iZ  12,  February  i. —  Heard  yesterday  from,'  and  wrote 
to-day  to,  India.  My  conviction  of  being  declining  in 
spiritual  life  is  deeper  and  deeper.  I  would  stop  and 
pause  at  what  is  before  me.  It  is  no  particular  outward 
sin,  but  an  inward  loss  I  mourn. 

Every  word  of  Henry  Martyn's  Journal  regarding 
Arabia  is  precious,  alike  in  the  light  of  his  attempt  to  give 
its  people  the  Word  of  God  in  their  own  tongue,  and  of  the 
long  delayed  and  too  brief  efforts  of  his  successors.  Ion 
Keith-Falconer  in  Yemen  in  1887,  and  Bishop  French  in 

'  By  letter  written  April  22  or  June  23,  181 1. 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,   BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     337 

Muscat  in  1891.     To  David  Brown,  all  unknowing  of  his 
death,  he  wrote  on  April  23 : 

I  left  India  on  Lady-day,  looked  at  Persia  on  Easter 
Sunday,  and  seven  days  after  found  myself  in  Arabia  Felix. 
In  a  small  cove,  surrounded  by  bare  rocks,  heated  through, 
out  of  the  reach  of  air  as  well  as  wind,  lies  the  good  ship 
Benares,  in  the  great  cabin  of  which,  stretched  on  a  couch, 
lie  I.  But  though  weak  I  am  well — relaxed  but  not 
disordered.  Praise  to  His  grace  who  fulfils  to  me  a  promise 
which  I  have  scarcely  a  right  to  claim — '  I  am  with  thee, 
and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places  whither  thou  goest' 

Last  night  I  went  ashore  for  the  first  time  with  Captain 
Lockett ;  we  walked  through  the  bazaar  and  up  the  hill, 
but  saw  nothing  but  what  was  Indian  or  worse.  The  Imam 
or  Sultan  is  about  thirty  miles  off,  fighting,  it  is  said,  for  his 
kingdom,  with  the  Wahabees. 

You  will  be  happy  to  learn  that  the  pirates  whom  we 
were  to  scourge  are  got  out  of  our  way,  so  that  I  may  now 
hope  to  get  safe  through  the  Gulf  without  being  made  to 
witness  the  bloody  scenes  of  war. 

April  24. — Went  with  one  English  party  and  'two 
Armenians  and  an  Arab  who  served  as  guard  and  guide, 
to  see  a  remarkable  pass  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  and 
a  garden  planted  by  a  Hindu  in  a  little  valley  beyond 
There  was  nothing  to  see,  only  the  little  bit  of  gx-een  in 
this  wilderness  seemed  to  the  Arab  a  great  curiosity.  I 
conversed  a  good  deal  with  him,  but  particularly  with  his 
African  slave,  who  was  very  intelligent  about  religion.  The 
latter  knew  as  much  about  his  religion  as  most  moun- 
taineers, and  withal  was  so  interested,  that  he  would  not 
cease  from  his  argument  till  I  left  the  shore. 

To  Corrie  he  wrote  on  the  same  day  : 

The  Imam  of  Muscat  murdered  his  uncle,  and  sits  on 
the  throne  in  the  place  of  his  elder  brother,  v.'ho  is  here  a 

z 


338  HENRY  MARTYN 

cipher.  Last  night  the  Captain  went  ashore  to  a  council 
of  state,  to  consider  the  relations  subsisting  between  the 
Government  of  Bombay  and  these  mighty  chieftains.  I 
attended  as  interpreter.  The  Company's  agent  is  an  old 
Hindu  who  could  not  get  off  his  bed.  An  old  man  in 
whom  pride  and  stupidity  seemed  to  contend  for  empire 
sat  opposite  to  him.  This  was  the  Wazeer.  Between 
them  sat  I,  opposite  to  me  the  Captain.  The  Wazeer 
uttered  something  in  Arabic,  not  one  word  of  which  could 
I  understand.  The  old  Hindu  explained  in  Persian,  for 
he  has  almost  forgot  his  Hindi,  and  I  to  the  Captain  in 
English.    We  are  all  impatient  to  get  away  from  this  place. 

To  the  last  he  was  busy  with  his  Arabic  translation  of 
Scripture.  The  ships  of  war  crossed  and  recrossed  the 
Gulf  from  shore  to  shore,  surveying  its  coasts  and  islands 
in  the  heat  of  May,  tempered  by  a  north-wester  which 
tossed  them  about.     On  May  6  he  wrote  in  hxs  Journal-. 

Much  cast  down  through  a  sinful  propensity,  which  I 
little  thought  was  in  me  at  all,  till  occasion  manifested  its 
existence. 

On  the  19th: 

Preached  to  the  ship's  company  on  John  iii.  3.  My 
thoughts  so  much  on  Lydia,  whose  old  letter  I  had  been 
reading  the  day  before,  that  I  had  a  sense  of  guilt  for  having 
neglected  the  proper  duties  of  the  day. 

May  20. —  We  have  now  a  fair  wind,  carrying  us  gently 
to  Bushire. 

May  22. — Finished  the  syllabus  of  Ecclesiastical  His- 
tory which  I  have  been  making  all  the  voyage,  and  extracts 
from  Mosheim  concerning  the  Eastern  Church. 

On  May  21,  181 1,  Henry  Martyn  at  last  reached 
Persian  soil. 


CALCUTTA    TO   CEYLON,  BOMBAY,  AND  ARABIA     339 

Landed  at  Bushire  this  morning  in  good  health  ;  how 
unceasing  are  the  mercies  of  the  Lord  ;  blessed  be  His 
goodness ;  may  He  still  preserve  me  from  danger,  and,  above 
all,  make  my  journey  a  source  of  future  good  to  this 
kingdom  of  Persia,  into  which  I  am  now  come.  We  were 
hospitably  received  by  the  acting  Resident.  In  the  evening 
I  walked  out  by  the  sea-side  to  recollect  myself,  to  review 
the  past,  and  look  forward  to  the  future. 

Suffering  the  will  of  God  is  as  necessary  a  part  of 
spiritual  discipline  as  doing,  and  much  more  trying. 

But  he  landed  still  with  the  desire  '  to  go  to  Arabia 
circuitously  by  way  of  Persia,'  a  course  which  he  declared 
to  be  rendered  necessary  by  the  advanced  state  of  the 
season.     The  people  of  Arabia  were  first  in  his  heart. 


Z2 


340  HENRY  HIARTYN 


CHAPTER  IX 

IN   PERSIA— BUSHIRE   AND   SHIRAZ,    181I 

The  Persia  to  whose  seven  millions  of  people  Henry 
Martyn  was  the  first  in  modern  times  to  carry  the  good- 
news  of  God,  was  just  the  size  of  the  India  of  his  day. 
The  Mohammedan  majority  of  its  scattered  inhabitants^ 
in  cities,  in  villages,  and  wandering  over  its  plains  and 
deserts,  had  never  been,  and  are  not  yet,  as  Shi'ahs,  rigid 
members  of  Islam,  fanatically  aggressive  against  all  others, 
like  the  orthodox  Soonnis.  After  the  apparent  extinction 
of  the  cult  of  Zoroaster  and  the  flight  of  the  surviving 
remnant  of  Parsees  to  India,  the  successive  ruling  dynasties 
were  liberal  and  tolerant  in  their  treatment  of  Christians 
compared  with  other  Moslem  powers  ;  more  liberal  than 
Christian  Russia  is  to  the  Jews  and  the  non-' orthodox ' 
sects.  When  those  cultured  and  enterprising  brothers,  Sir 
Anthony  and  Sir  Thomas  Sherley,'  went  from  Oxford  to 
the  court  of  Persia,  then  in  all  its  magnificence  under 
Shah  Abbas  the  Great,  two  centuries  before  Henry 
Martyn,  that  Shah  sent  one  back  as  Persian  envoy  to  the 
Christian  powers  of  Europe,  to  establish  an  alliance  for  the 
destruction  of  the  Turks.  Shah  Abbas  made  over  Gom- 
broon to  them,  calling  it  by  his  own  name,  Bunder  Abbas, 

'  The  Three  Brothers,  or  the  Travels  mid  Adventures  of  Sir  Anthony,  Sir 
Robert,  and  Sir  Thomas  Sherley  in  Persia,  Russia,  Tiirl;:y,  Spain,  S^c.y 
London,  1825. 


TN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    iSri         341 

ivhich  it  still  retains,  and  his  Majesty's  grant  used  such 
language  as  this  :  'Our  absolute  commandment,  will,  and 
pleasure  is  that  our  countries  and  dominions  shall  be  from 
this  day  open  to  all  Christian  people  and  to  their  religion. . . . 
Because  of  the  amitie  now  ioyned  with  the  princes  that 
professe  Christ,  I  do  give  this  pattent  for  all  Christian 
merchants,'  etc.  Only  the  intolerance  of  the  Portuguese, 
who,  under  Albuquerque,  took  the  island  of  Ormuz,  and  so 
dominated  the  Persian  Gulf  till  driven  out  by  the  English, 
led  this  great  Asiatic  monarch  to  except  the  power  which 
Prince  Henry  the  Navigator  alone  redeems  from  historical 
contempt  to  the  present  day. 

The  Suffavian  dynasty  gave  place  to  the  Afghan,  and 
that  to  the  short-lived  but  wide-spreading  empire  of  Nadir 
Kooli  Khan,  from  Delhi  to  the  Oxus  River  and  the  Caspian 
Sea.  Out  of  half  a  century's  bloody  revolutions,  such  as 
formed  the  normal  course  of  the  annals  of  Asia  till  Great 
Britain  pushed  its  '  Peace '  up  from  the  Southern  Ocean, 
Aga  Mohammed  Khan,  of  the  Kajar  clan,  founded  the 
present  dynasty  in  1795.  His  still  greater  nephew  suc- 
ceeded on  his  death  three  years  after.  Futteh  Ali  Shah 
became  for  the  next  thirty-eight  years  the  close  friend  of 
the  British  Crown  and  the  East  India  Company.  Shah-in- 
Shah,  or  king  of  the  four  kings  of  Afghanistan,  Georgia, 
Koordistan,  and  Arabistan,  the  ruler  of  Persia  had  now 
incorporated  xArabistan  in  his  own  dominion,  and  had  lost 
Afghanistan.  But  he  still  claimed  the  allegiance  of  the 
two  subject-sovereigns  of  Georgia  and  Koordistan.  His 
uncle  had  avenged  on  the  people,  and  especially  the  beau- 
tiful women  of  Georgia,  the  transfer  of  the  country  by 
its  Wali  to  the  Russian  Catherine  H.  Placed  in  the 
commanding  centre  of  Western  Asia,  Futteh  Ali  almost 


342  HENRY  MARTYN 

immediately  found  himself  the  object  of  eager  competition 
by  the  representatives  of  the  Christian  powers  at  Teheran. 
His  revenue  was  estimated  by  so  competent  an  authority 
as  Sir  John  Malcolm  at  nearly  six  millions  sterling.  The 
crown  jewels,  chief  of  them  the  Sea  of  Light,  or  Derya-i 
Noor,  a  diamond  weighing  178  carats,  were  then  the  most 
valuable  collection  in  the  world  ;  for  though  the  Koh-i-Noor 
had  remained  with  the  Afghans,  whence  through  the  Sikh.s 
it  came  to  a  greater  Shah-in-Shah,  the  Queen-Empress  of 
Great  Britain,  he  still  possessed  not  a  little  of  Nadir's 
plunder  of  Delhi. 

Sir  Robert  Ker  Porter  describes  him  about  the  time 
when  Martyn  reached  his  capital,  as  'one  blaze  of  jewels,' at 
the  New  Year  festival  of  Norooz.  On  his  head  was  a  lofty 
tiara  of  three  elevations,  '  entirely  composed  of  thickly-set 
diamonds,  pearls,  rubies,  and  emeralds,  so  exquisitely  dis- 
posed as  to  form  a  mixture  of  the  most  beautiful  colours 
in  the  brilliant  light  reflected  from  its  surface.  Several 
black  feathers,  like  the  heron  plume,  were  intermixed 
with  the  resplendent  aigrettes  of  this  truly  imperial  diadem, 
whose  bending  points  were  furnished  with  pear-formed 
pearls  of  an  immense  size.  The  vesture  was  of  gold  tissue 
nearly  covered  with  a  similar  disposition  of  jewelry  ;  and 
crossing  the  shoulders  were  two  strings  of  pearls,  probably 
the  largest  in  the  world.  But  for  splendour  nothing  could 
exceed  the  broad  bracelets  round  his  arms  and  the  belt 
which  encircled  his  waist ;  they  actually  blazed  like  fire 
when  the  rays  of  the  sun  met  them.  The  throne  was  of 
pure  white  marble  raised  a  few  steps  from  the  ground,  and 
carpeted  with  shawls  and  cloth  of  gold.  While  the  Great 
King  was  approaching  his  throne,  the  whole  assembly 
continued  bowing  their  heads  to  the  ground   till  he  had 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    1811         343 

taken  his  place.  In  the  midst  of  solemn  stillness,  while  all 
eyes  were  fixed  on  the  bright  object  before  them,  which 
sat  indeed  as  radiant  and  immovable  as  the  image  of 
Mithras  itself,  a  sort  of  volley  of  words  bursting  at  one 
impulse  from  the  mouths  of  the  mollahs  and  astrologers, 
made  me  start,  and  interrupted  my  gaze.  This  strange 
oratory  was  a  kind  of  heraldic  enumeration  of  the  Great 
King's  titles,  dominions,  and  glorious  acts.  There  was  a 
pause,  and  then  his  Majesty  spoke.  The  effect  was  even 
more  startling  than  the  sudden  bursting  forth  of  the 
mollahs ;  for  this  was  like  a  voice  from  the  tombs — so 
deep,  so  hollow,  and,  at  the  same  time,  so  penetratingly 
loud.' ' 

That  was  the  man  to  whose  feet  the  French  Emperor 
Napoleon  and  the  Tsar  Alexander,  King  George  III.  and 
the  greatest  Governor-General  of  the  East  India  Company, 
the  Marquess  Wellesley,  sent  special  embassies  ;  the  man 
from  whom  they  sought  secret  treaties,  lavishing  on  his 
courtiers  more  than  royal  gifts.  To  arrest  the  march  of  the 
Afghan  invader,  who  a  few  years  before  had  reached  Lahore 
on  his  way  to  set  up  again  at  Delhi  the  house  of  Timour, 
and  in  order  to  foil  the  secret  embassy  sent  by  Napoleon, 
who  had  resolved  to  give  England  its  death-blow  through 
India,  a  young  Scotsman,  Captain  Malcolm,  was  deputed 
to  Teheran  in  1801,  following  up  a  native  envoy  who  had 
been  most  successful  just  before.  This  soldier  diplomatist, 
who  was  afterwards  to  help  Henry  Martyn  to  a  very 
different  success, 'bribed  like  a  king,'  and  returned  with 
two  treaties,  political  and  commercial,  but  still  more  with 
the  knowledge  which  fitted  him  to  write  his  classic  history, 

'   Travels  in  Georgia,   Persia,  Armenia,  Aficien(  Babjilo~t^a^  ^c.^  by  Sir 
Robert  Ker  Porter,  z  vols.,  London,  1821. 


344  HEXRY  MARTY N 

and  make  his  second  ambassage.  For  England  failed  to 
carr}-  out  the  first  so  far  as  to  help  the  Shah  against  Russia, 
and  from  that  hour  Persia  has  seen  province  after  province 
over\vhelmed  by  the  wave  from  the  north. 

Taking  alarm  a  second  time,  just  before  and  after  the 
Peace  of  Tilsit,  both  the  Crown  and  the  Company  appointed 
plenipotentiaries  to  Teheran.  It  was  Lord  Minto's  wise 
policy  to  protect  our  Indian  empire  '  by  binding  the 
Western  Frontier  States  in  a  chain  of  friendly  alliance.' 
Hence  the  Governor-General's  four  missions,  to  Sindh,  to 
Lahore,  to  Cabul,  and  again  to  Persia  under  Sij  John 
Malcolm.  Sir  Harford  Jones  appeared  as  ambassador  from 
the  Crown  after  Malcolm  had  left  Teheran,  and  took  ad- 
vantage of  a  change  in  the  political  situation  to  secure 
the  preliminary  treaty  of  1809,  which  renewed  the  pledge 
of  its  predecessor  to  assist  the  Shah  with  troops  or  a 
subsidy  if  any  European  forces  should  invade  his  territories. 
In  a  modified  form  this  became  the  definitive  treaty  of 
March  14,  1812  (further  altered  in  that  of  18 14),  to  arrange 
which  Sir  Gore  Ouseley  was  sent  out,  superseding  both 
Malcolm  and  Jones.'     Sir  Gore  Ouseley  became   Henry 


'  Mr.  J.  C.  Marshman,  CS. I.,  who  lived  through  the  history  of  India, 
from  Wellesley  to  Lord  Lawrence,  and  personally  knew  almost  all  its  distin- 
guished men,  writes  in  his  invaluable  History :  '  The  good  sense  of  Sir 
Harford  and  Colonel  Malcolm  gradually  smoothed  down  all  asperities,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  they  agreed  to  unite  their  efforts  to  baffle  the  intrigues 
and  the  cupidity  of  the  court.  Colonel  Malcolm  was  received  with  open 
arms  by  the  king,  who  considered  him  the  first  of  Englishmen.  "What 
induced  you,"  said  he  at  the  first  interview,  "  to  hasten  away  from  Shiraz 
without  seeing  my  son  ?  "  "  How  could  I,"  replied  the  Colonel  with  his  ever 
ready  tact,  "after  having  been  warmed  by  the  sunshine  of  your  Majesty's 
favour,  be  satisfied  with  the  mere  reflection  of  that  refulgence  in  the  person  of 
your  son?"  "Mashalla!"  exclaimed  the  monarch,  "  Malcolm  Sahib  is  himself 
again."  .  .  .  Sir  Gore  Ouseley  had  acquired  the  confidence  of  Lord 
Wellesley  by  the  great  talents  he  exhibited  when  in  a  private  station  at  the 


IN  PERSIA-BUSHIRE  AND  SIIIRAZ,    1811         345 

Martyn's  friend.  Commended  by  Sir  John  Malcolm  to 
his  personal  friends  among  the  Persians,  and  officially 
encouraged  by  the  British  plenipotentiary,  the  Bengal 
chaplain  seeking  health  had  all  the  facilities  secured  to  him 
that  were  possible  to  pursue  the  God-given  mission  of  the 
apostle  of  Christ  to  the  peoples  of  Persia  and  Arabia. 

The  strong  and  wise  rule  of  Futteh  AH  Shah  kept 
Persia  itself  at  peace,  but  he  could  not  get  the  better  of 
Russian  intrigue  and  attack,  even  with  the  friendly  offices 
of  the  British  Government.  Up  till  Martyn's  arrival  these 
vast  regions  had  been  wrested  from  the  Shah-in-Shah  : 
Georgia,  Mingrelia,  Daghistan,  Sherwan,  Karabagh,  and 
Talish.  During  his  presence  in  the  country  the  negotiations 
with  Russia  were  going  on,  which  ended  in  1813  in  the 
Treaty  of  Gulistan,  surrendering  to  the  Tsar  all  he  had  taken, 
and  apparently  stopping  his  advance  by  a  line  of  demar- 
cation. But  as  its  exact  direction  had  to  be  settled  by 
commissioners  Russia  has  ever  since  continued  steadily  to 
strip  Persia  of  its  northern  lands,  and  only  the  presence  of 
the  British  Navy  has  kept  it  as  yet  out  of  the  Persian  Gulf 

Such  were  the  historical  and  political  conditions  amid 
which  the  missionary  chaplain  of  India  became  a  resident  in 
the  cities,  and  a  traveller  through  the  villages  of  Persia  and 
Turkey  at  the  age  of  thirty.  He  went  there  as  the  friend 
of  Malcolm  Sahib,  whose  gracious  dignity  and  lavish  gifts 
had  made  him  a  hero  ;.  nong  the  officials  and  many  of  the 
people  of  Persia.     He  went   with   letters   of  introduction 

court  of  Lucknow,  and  upon  his  recommendation  wxs  appointed  to  Teheran 
as  the  representative  of  the  King  of  England.'  The  two  embassies  cost  the 
East  India  Company  380,000/. 

'  Sir  C.  U.  Aitchison's  Collection  of  Treaties,  Engagements,  and  Sunnuds 
relating  to  India  and  NeigliLwuring  Countries,  2nd  edition,  vol.  vi.  Calcutta, 
1876. 


346  HENRY  MARTYN 

from  the  Governor-General  of  India  and  the  Governor  of 
Bombay  to  the  new  British  ambassador,  who  had  hved  at 
Lucknow,  and  must  have  known  well  of  his  work  in  the 
neighbouring  station  of  Cawnpore.  He  went  with  the 
reputation  of  a  man  of  God  in  the  Oriental  sense,  and  of  a 
scholar  who  knew  the  sacred  books  of  Mohammedans  and 
Christians  alike,  and  who  sought  the  good  of  the  people. 
The  Armenian  colonies  at  Calcutta  and  Bombay  had  com- 
mended him  to  the  many  members  of  their  Church  in  Persia. 
Bushire,  or  Abu  Shahr,  at  which  he  began  his  mission  to 
Persia,  is  the  port  of  that  province  of  Fars  from  which  the 
whole  empire  takes  its  name.  Its  mixed  Persian  and  Arab 
population,  now  numbering  some  fifteen  thousand,  its  insani- 
tary position  on  a  spit  of  sand  almost  surrounded  by  the  sea, 
and  the  filthy  narrow  streets  hardly  redeemed  by  the  Char 
Burj  or  citadel,  and  the  British  Residency,  do  not  attract  the 
visitor,  and  he  soon  learns  that  the  humid  heat  of  its 
climate  in  summer  is  more  insupportable  than  that  even  of 
the  Red  Sea.  From  Reshire,  close  by,  in  the  Anglo-Persian 
War  of  1856-7,  General  Havelock  shelled  the  town  when 
he  pitched  the  camp  of  the  force  to  the  south  of  its  gate. 
Henry  Martyn  was  there  in  the  worst  season  of  May  and 
June,  when  the  thermometer  rises  to  100°  in  the  shade,  and 
sometimes  106°.  He  became  the  guest  of  an  English 
merchant  and  his  Armenian  wife,  and  was  received  by  the 
Armenians  as  a  priest  of  great  sanctity.  His  Journal 
describes  his  receptions  and  daily  occupations. 

181 1,  May  23. — Rode  out  with  a  party  in  the  evening, 
or  rather  in  the  afternoon,  for  the  heat  of  the  sun  made 
me  ill. 

May  24. — The  Governor  called  on  us ;  also  the 
Armenian  priest.     Received  an  answer  from  the  ambas- 


IN  PERSIA-BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    1811         347 

sador,    Sir   Gore    Ouseley,   to   a   letter    I    sent  him  from 
Muscat. 

May  25. — In  the  evening  called  with  the  two  Captains, 
the  Resident,  and  the  Captain  of  his  guard,  on  the  Governor. 
In  consequence  of  a  letter  I  brought  for  him  from  General 
Malcolm,  he  was  very  particular  in  his  attentions,  seated 
me  on  his  own  seat,  and  then  sat  by  my  side  apart  from 
the  rest.  I  observed  that  a  Christian  was  not  allowed  to 
enter  a  mosque  ;  he  said,  '  No, — do  you  wish  to  hear  the 
prayers  ?  '  I  said,  '  No,  but  the  preaching,  if  there  is  any  ; ' 
he  said  there  were  no  preachers  except  at  Yezd. 

May  26.     (Sunday.) — The    Europeans   assembled    for 
Divine  service,  which  was  performed  at  the  Resident's.     I 
preached  on  i  Cor.  xv.  :  '  For  He  must  reign  till  He  hath 
put  all  enemies  under  His  feet,'  etc.     In  the  evening  I  went, 
at  the  padre's   request,  to  the  Armenian   church.     There 
was  the  same  disagreeable  succession  of  unmeaning  cere- 
monies and  noisy  chants  as  at  Bombay.     I  was  introduced 
within  the  rails,  and  at  the  time  of  incense  I  was  censed, 
as  the  padre  afterwards  desired  me  to  observe,  four  times, 
whereas  the  laity  have  the  honour  done  them  but  once. 
I  asked  the  old  man  what  was  meant  by  burning  incense^^ 
He  said  it  was  in  imitation  of  the  Wise  Men  of  the  East,  I 
who  offered  incense  to  Christ.     I  told  him,  Why  then  do  \ 
you  not  offer  myrrh  and  gold  .''     To  this  he  made  no  reply.^J 
Walking  afterwards  with  him  by  the   sea-side,  I   tried   to 
get  into   a   conversation    suitable    to    our    profession    as 
ministers,  speaking  particularly  of  the  importance  of  the 
charge  entrusted  to  us.     Nothing  could  be  more  vapid  and 
mean  than  his  remarks. 

May  27. — Very  ill,  from  head-ache  and  overpowering 
sleepiness,  arising,  as  I  suppose,  from  a  stroke  of  the  sun. 
As  often  as  I  attempted  to  read,  I  fell  asleep,  and  awoke 
in  weakness  and  pain.  How  easily  may  existence  be 
embittered  ;  still  I  will  say, '  Not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done.' 
In  the  evening  a  Jewish  goldsmith  called  with  a  fine  boy, 


348  HENRY  MARTYN 

who  read  the  Hebrew  fluently.  Grief  has  marked  the 
countenance  of  the  Eastern  Jews  in  a  way  that  makes 
them  indescribably  interesting.  I  could  have  wept  while 
looking  at  them.  O  Lord,  how  long?  Will  Thine  anger 
burn  for  ever  ? — is  not  justice  yet  satisfied  ?  This  afflicted 
people  are  as  much  oppressed  in  Persia  as  ever.  Their 
women  are  not  allowed  to  veil,  as  all  others  are  required  to 
do;  hence,  if  there  be  one  more  than  ordinarily  beautiful, 
she  is  soon  known,  and  a  khan  or  the  king  sends  for  her, 
makes  her  a  Mahometan,  and  puts  her  into  the  harem. 
As  soon  as  he  is  tired,  she  is  given  to  another,  and  then  to 
another,  till  she  becomes  the  property  of  the  most  menial 
servant ;  such  is  the  degradation  to  which  the  daughters  of 
Israel  are  subjected. 

May  28. — Through  the  infinite  and  unmerited  goodness 
of  God  I  am  again  restored,  and  able  to  do  something  in 
the  way  of  reading.  The  Resident  gave  us  some  account 
this  evening  of  the  moral  state  of  Persia.  It  is  enough  to 
make  one  shudder.  If  God  rained  down  fire  upon  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  how  is  it  that  this  nation  is  not  blotted  out 
from  under  heaven  .'*  I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard 
such  things  of  the  Hindus,  except  the  Sikhs ;  they  seem 
to  rival  the  Mahometans. 

For  personal  comfort  and  freedom  from  insult  or  attack, 
Henry  Martyn,  when  in  Bushire,  ordered  the  usual  ward- 
robe of  a  Persian  gentleman.  He  had  suffered  his  beard 
and  moustachios  to  vegetate  undisturbed  since  leaving 
India,  as  he  wrote  to  Corrie.  In  conical  Astrakhan  cap, 
baggy  blue  trousers,  red  boots,  and  light  chintz  tunic  and 
dioglia  or  flowing  coat,  mounted  on  a  riding  pony,  and 
followed  by  his  Armenian  servant  on  a  mule,  with  another 
mule  for  his  baggage,  he  set  out  on  May  30,  181 1,  for 
Shiraz.  His  companion  was  a  British  officer.  The  party 
formed  a  large  caravan  with  some  thirty  horses  and  mules, 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    1811         349 

carrying  goods  to  the  ambassador.  They  marched  by 
night,  in  the  comparative  coolness  of  100°,  to  which  the 
thermometer  fell  from  the  noonday  heat  of  126°,  when  they 
lay  panting  in  their  tents  protected  from  the  scorching  dry 
wind  by  heavy  clothing.  The  journey  of  some  170  miles 
occupied  the  first  nine  days  of  June.  After  ninety  miles 
over  a  hot  sandy  plain  the  traveller  rises,  by  four  rocky 
kotuls  or  inclines,  so  steep  as  to  be  called  ladders,  over  the 
spurs  of  the  Zagi  os  range  into  a  cooler  region  at  Kaziroon, 
on  the  central  plateau  of  Iran,  and  then  passes  through  the 
most  delightful  valleys,  wooded  or  clad  with  verdure,  to  the 
capital,  Shiraz,  surrounded  by  gardens  and  by  cemeteries. 

May  30. — Our  Persian  dresses  being  ready,  we  set  off 
this  evening  for  Shiraz.  Our  kafila  consisted  of  about 
thirty  horses  and  mules  ;  some  carrying  things  to  the 
ambassador,  the  rest  for  our  servants  and  luggage ;  the 
animal  for  my  use  was  a  yaboo  or  riding  pony,  a  mule 
for  my  trunks,  and  one  for  my  servant  Zechariah,  an 
Armenian  of  Ispahan.  It  was  a  fine  moonlight  night, 
about  ten  o'clock,  when  we  marched  out  of  the  gate  of 
Bushire,  and  began  to  make  our  way  over  the  plain. 
Mr.  B.,  who  accompanied  me  a  little  way,  soon  returned. 
Captain  T.  went  on,  intending  to  accompany  us  to  Shiraz. 
This  was  the  first  time  we  had  any  of  us  put  off  the 
European,  and  the  novelty  of  our  situation  supplied  us 
with  many  subjects  for  conversation  for  about  two  hours. 
When  we  began  to  flag  and  grow  sleepy,  and  the  kafila  was 
pretty  quiet,  one  of  the  muleteers  on  foot  began  to  sing  :  he 
sang  with  a  voice  so  plaintive  that  it  was  impossible  not  to 
have  one's  attention  arrested.  At  the  end  of  the  first  tune  he 
paused,  and  nothing  was  heard  but  the  tinkling  of  the  bells 
attached  to  the  necks  of  the  mules  ;  every  voice  was  hushed. 
The  first  line  was  enough  for  me,  and  I  dare  say  it  set 
many  others  thinking  of  their  absent  friends.     •  Without 


3 so  HENRY  MARTYN 

thee  my  heart  can  attach  itself  to  none.'  It  is  what  I  have 
often  felt  on  setting  out  on  a  journey.  The  friends  left 
behind  so  absorb  the  thoughts,  that  the  things  by  the  way- 
side are  seen  without  interest,  and  the  conversation  of 
strangers  is  insipid.  But  perhaps  the  first  line,  as  well  as 
the  rest,  is  only  a  promise  of  fidelity,  though  I  did  not  take 
it  in  that  sense  when  I  first  heard  it.  The  following  is 
perhaps  the  true  translation  : 

Think  not  that  e'er  my  heart  can  dwell 

Contented  far  from  thee  ; 
How  can  the  fresh-caught  nightingale 

Enjoy  tranquillity  ? 

Forsake  not  then  thy  friend  for  aught 

That  slanderous  tongues  can  say  ; 
The  heart  that  fixes  where  it  ought, 

No  power  can  rend  away. 

Thus  we  went  on,  and  as  often  as  the  kafila  by  their 
dulncss  and  sleepiness  seemed  to  require  it,  or  perhaps  to 
keep  himself  awake,  he  entertained  the  company  and  him- 
self with  a  song.'  We  met  two  or  three  other  kafilas  taking 
advantage  of  the  night  to  get  on.  My  loquacious  servant 
Zachary  took  care  to  ask  every  one  whence  they  came,  and 
by  that  means  sometimes  got  an  answer  which  raised  a 
laugh  against  him. 

June  I. — At  sunrise  we  came  to  our  ground  at  Ahmeda, 
six  parasangs,  and  pitched  our  little  tent  under  a  tree :  it 
was  the  only  shelter  we  could  get.  At  first  the  heat  was 
not  greater  than  we  had  felt  it  in  India,  but  it  soon  became 
so  intense  as  to  be  quite  alarming.  When  the  thermometer 
was  above  112°,  fever  heat,  I  began  to  lose  my  strength 
fast  ;  at  last  it  became  quite  intolerable.  I  wrapped  my- 
self up  in  a  blanket  and  all  the  warm  covering  I  could  get, 
to  defend  myself  from  the  external  air  ;  by  which  means 
the  moisture  was  kept  a  little  longer  upon  the  body,  and 
not  so  speedily  evaporated  as  when  the  skin  was  exposed  ; 


TN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,   1811        351 

one  of  my  companions  followed  my  example,  and  ibund 
the  benefit  of  it.  But  the  thermometer  still  rising,  and  the 
moisture  of  the  body  being  quite  exhausted,  I  grew  rest- 
less, and  thought  I  should  have  lost  my  senses.  The 
thermometer  at  last  stood  at  1 26°  :  in  this  state  I  composed 
myself,  and  concluded  that  though  I  might  hold  out  a  day 
or  two,  death  was  inevitable.  Captain  T.,  who  sat  it  out, 
continued  to  tell  the  hour,  and  height  of  the  thermometer ; 
and  with  what  pleasure  did  we  hear  of  its  sinking  to  120°, 
118°,  etc.  At  last  the  fierce  sun  retired,  and  I  crept  out, 
more  dead  than  alive.  It  was  then  a  difficulty  how  I  could 
proceed  on  my  journey  :  for  besides  the  immediate  effects 
of  the  heat,  I  had  no  opportunity  of  making  up  for  the 
last  night's  want  of  sleep,  and  had  eaten  nothing.  How- 
ever, while  they  were  loading  the  mules,  I  got  an  hour's 
sleep,  and  set  out,  the  muleteers  leading  my  horse,  and 
Zechariah,  my  servant,  an  Armenian,  of  Ispahan,  doing  all 
in  his  power  to  encourage  me.  The  cool  air  of  the  night 
restored  me  wonderfully,  so  that  I  arrived  at  our  next 
inunzil  with  no  other  derangement  than  that  occasioned 
by  want  of  sleep.  Expecting  another  such  day  as  the 
former,  we  began  to  make  preparation  the  instant  we 
arrived  on  the  ground.  I  got  a  tattie  made  of  the  branches 
of  the  date-tree,  and  a  Persian  peasant  to  water  it ;  by 
this  means  the  thermometer  did  not  rise  higher  than  114°. 
But  what  completely  secured  me  from  the  heat  was  a  large 
wet  towel,  which  I  wrapped  round  my  head  and  body, 
muffling  up  the  lower  part  in  clothes.  How  could  I  but 
be  grateful  to  a  gracious  Providence,  for  giving  me  so 
simple  a  defence  against  what  I  am  persuaded  would  have 
destroyed  my  life  that  day  !  We  took  care  not  to  go  with- 
out nourishment,  as  we  had  done  :  the  neighbouring  village 
supplied  us  with  curds  and  milk.  At  sunset,  rising  up  to 
go  out,  a  scorpion  fell  upon  my  clothes  ;  not  seeing  where 
it  fell,  I  did  not  know  what  it  was ;  but  Captain  T., 
pointing  it  out,  gave  the  alarm,  and  I  struck  it  off,  and  he 


352  HENRY  MARTYN 

killed  it.  The  night  before  we  found  a  black  scorpion  in 
our  tent ;  this  made  us  rather  uneasy  ;  so  that  though  the 
kafila  did  not  start  till  midnight,  we  got  no  sleep,  fearing 
we  might  be  visited  by  another  scorpion. 

June  2. — We  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  at  a 
place  where  we  seemed  to  have  discovered  one  of  Nature's 
ulcers.  A  strong  suffocating  smell  of  naphtha  announced 
something  more  than  ordinarily  foul  in  the  neighbourhood. 
We  saw  a  river :— what  flowed  in  it,  it  seemed  difficult  to 
say,  whether  it  were  water  or  green  oil  ;  it  scarcely  moved, 
and  the  stones  which  it  laved  it  left  of  a  greyish  colour,  as 
if  its  foul  touch  had  given  them  the  leprosy.  Our  place  of 
encampment  this  day  was  a  grove  of  date-trees,  where  the 
atmosphere,  at  sunrise,  was  ten  times  hotter  than  the 
ambient  air.  I  threw  myself  down  on  the  burning  ground, 
and  slept ;  when  the  tent  came  up  I  awoke,  as  usual,  in  a 
burning  fever.  All  this  day  I  had  recourse  to  the  wet 
towel,  which  kept  me  alive,  but  would  allow  of  no  sleep. 
It  was  a  sorrowful  Sabbath  ;  but  Captain  T.  read  a  few 
hymns,  in  which  I  found  great  consolation.  At  nine  in 
the  evening  we  decamped.  The  ground  and  air  were  so 
insufferably  hot,  that  I  could  not  travel  without  a  wet  towel 
round  my  face  and  neck.  This  night,  for  the  first  time,  we 
began  to  ascend  the  mountains.  The  road  often  passed  so 
close  to  the  edge  of  the  tremendous  precipices,  that  one 
false  step  of  the  horse  would  have  plunged  his  rider  into 
inevitable  destruction.  In  such  circumstances  I  found  it 
useless  to  attempt  guiding  the  animal,  and  therefore  gave 
him  the  rein.  These  poor  animals  are  so  used  to  journeys 
of  this  sort,  that  they  generally  step  sure.  There  was 
nothing  to  mark  the  road  but  the  rocks  being  a  little  more 
worn  in  one  place  than  in  another.  Sometimes  my  horse, 
which  led  the  way,  as  being  the  muleteer's,  stopped,  as  if 
to  consider  about  the  way  :  for  myself,  I  could  not  guess, 
at  such  times,  where  the  road  lay,  but  he  always  found  it. 
The  sublime  scenery  would  have  impiesscd  me  much,  in 


IN  PERSIA^BUSHIRE  AND  SHTRAZ,    1811         353 

other  circumstances;  but  my  sleepiness  and  fatigue  rendered 
me  insensible  to  everything  around  me.  At  last  we  emerged 
superas  ad  auras,  not  on  the  top  of  a  mountain  to  go  down 
again,  but  to  a  plain,  or  upper  world.  At  the  pass,  where 
a  cleft  in  the  mountain  admitted  us  into  the  plain,  was  a 
station  of  Rahdars.  While  they  were  examining  the 
muleteer's  passports,  etc.,  time  was  given  for  the  rest  of  the 
kafila  to  come  up,  and  I  got  a  little  sleep  for  a  few  minutes. 
Ju?ie  4. — We  rode  briskly  over  the  plain,  breathing  a 
purer  air,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  a  fair  edifice,  built  by 
the  king  of  the  country  for  the  refreshment  of  pilgrims. 
In  this  caravanserai  we  took  our  abode  for  the  day.  It 
was  more  calculated  for  Eastern  than  European  travellers, 
having  no  means  of  keeping  out  the  air  and  light.  We 
found  the  thermometer  at  110°.  At  the  passes  we  met  a 
man  travelling  down  to  Bushire  with  a  load  of  ice,  which 
he  willingly  disposed  of  to  us.  The  next  night  we  ascended 
another  range  of  mountains,  and  passed  over  a  plain,  where 
the  cold  was  so  piercing  that  with  all  the  clothes  we  could 
muster  we  were  shivering.  At  the  end  of  this  plain  we 
entered  a  dark  valley,  contained  by  two  ranges  of  hills 
converging  one  to  another.  The  muleteer  gave  notice 
that  he  saw  robbers.  It  proved  to  be  a  false  alarm  ;  but 
the  place  was  fitted  to  be  a  retreat  for  robbers  ;  there  being 
on  each  side  caves  and  fastnesses  from  which  they  might 
have  killed  every  man  of  us.  After  ascending  another 
mountain,  we  descended  by  a  very  long  and  circuitous 
route  into  an  extensive  valley,  where  we  were  exposed  to 
the  sun  till  eight  o'clock.  Whether  from  the  sun  or  from 
continued  want  of  sleep,  I  could  not,  on  my  arrival  at 
Kaziroon,  compose  myself  to  sleep  ;  there  seemed  to  be  a 
fire  within  my  head,  my  skin  like  a  cinder,  and  the  pulse 
violent.  Through  the  day  it  was  again  too  hot  to  sleep  ; 
though  the  place  we  occupied  was  a  sort  of  summer-house 
in  a  garden  of  cypress-trees,  exceedingly  well  fitted  up 
with  mats  and  coloured  glass.     Had  the  kafila  gone  on 

A  A 


354  HENRY  MARTYN 

that  night,  I  could  not  have  accompanied  it ;  but  it  halted 
there  a  day,  by  which  means  I  got  a  sort  of  night's  rest, 
though  I  awoke  twenty  times  to  dip  my  burning  hand  in 
water.  Though  Kaziroon  is  the  second  greatest  town  in 
Fars,  we  could  get  nothing  but  bread,  milk,  and  eggs,  and 
those  with  difficulty.  The  Governor,  who  is  under  great 
obligations  to  the  English,  heard  of  our  arrival,  but  sent 
no  message. 

June  5. — At  ten  we  left  Kaziroon  and  ascended  a 
mountain  :  we  then  descended  from  it  on  the  other  side 
into  a  beautiful  valley,  where  the  opening  dawn  discovered 
to  us  ripe  fields  of  wheat  and  barley,  with  the  green  oak 
here  and  there  in  the  midst  of  it.  We  were  reminded  of 
an  autumnal  morning  in  England.     Thermometer  62°. 

June  6. — Half-way  up  the  Peergan  Mountain  we  found 
a  caravanserai.  There  being  no  village  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, we  had  brought  supplies  from  Kaziroon.  My  servant 
Zachary  got  a  fall  from  his  mule  this  morning,  which  much 
bruised  him  ;  he  looked  very  sorrowful,  and  had  lost  much 
of  his  garrulity. 

June  7. —Left  the  caravanserai  at  one  this  morning, 
and  continued  to  ascend.  The  hours  we  were  permitted 
to  rest,  the  mosquitoes  had  effectually  prevented  me  from 
using,  so  that  I  never  felt  more  miserable  and  disordered  ; 
the  cold  was  very  severe  ;  for  fear  of  falling  off,  from  sleep 
and  numbness,  I  walked  a  good  part  of  the  way.  We 
pitched  our  tent  in  the  vale  of  Dustarjan,  near  a  crystal 
stream,  on  the  banks  of  which  we  observed  the  clover  and 
golden  cup  :  the  whole  valley  was  one  green  field,  in  which 
large  herds  of  cattle  were  browsing.  The  temperature 
was  about  that  of  spring  in  England.  Here  a  few  hours' 
sleep  recov'cred  me  in  some  degree  from  the  stupidity  in 
which  I  had  been  for  some  days.  I  awoke  with  a  light 
heart,  and  said  :  *  He  knoweth  our  frame,  and  remembereth 
that  we  are  but  dust.  He  redcerneth  our  life  from  destruc- 
tion, and  crowneth  us  with  loving  kindness  and  tender 


IN  PERSIA-BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    1811        355 

mercies.  He  maketh  us  to  lie  down  in  the  green  pastures, 
and  leadeth  us  beside  the  still  waters.'  And  when  we  leave 
this  vale  of  tears,  there  is  '  no  more  sorrow,  nor  sighing, 
nor  any  more  pain.'  '  The  sun  shall  not  light  upon  thee, 
nor  any  heat;  but  the  Lamb  shall  lead  thee  to  living 
fountains  of  waters.' 

June  8. — Went  on  to  a  caravanserai,  three  parasangs, 
where  we  passed  the  day.  At  night  set  out  upon  our  last 
march  for  Shiraz.  Sleepiness,  my  old  companion  and 
enemy,  again  overtook  me.  I  was  in  perpetual  danger  of 
falling  off  my  horse,  till  at  last  I  pushed  on  to  a  consider- 
able distance  beyond  the  kafila,  planted  my  back  against  a 
wall,  and  slept  I  know  not  how  long,  till  the  good  muleteer 
came  up  and  gently  waked  me. 

June  9.  (Sunday.) — By  daylight  we  found  ourselves  in 
the  plain  of  Shiraz.  We  went  to  the  halting-place  outside 
the  walls  of  the  city,  but  found  it  occupied  ;  however,  after 
some  further  delay,  we  were  admitted  with  our  servants 
into  another  ;  as  for  the  kafila,  we  saw  no  more  of  it.  The 
ambassador,  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  was  encamped  near  us ; 
Sir  William  and  Major  D'Arcy,  and  Dr.  Sharp,  called  on 
us,  but  I  did  not  see  the  two  first,  being  asleep  at  the  time. 
In  the  evening  we  dined  with  his  excellency,  who  gave  us 
a  general  invitation  to  his  table.  Returned  to  our  garden, 
where  we  slept. 

Jmie  10. — Went  this  morning  to  Jaffir  AH  Khan's,  to 
whom  we  had  letters  from  General  Malcolm,  and  with  whom 
we  are  to  take  up  our  abode.  After  the  long  and  tedious 
ceremony  of  coffee  and  kaleans  (pipes),  breakfast  made 
its  appearance  on  two  large  trays  :  curry,  pilaws,  various 
sweets  cooled  with  snow  and  perfumed  with  rose-water, 
were  served  in  great  profusion  in  china  plates  and  basins, 
a  few  wooden  spoons  beautifully  carved  ;  but  being  in  a 
Persian  dress,  and  on  the  ground,  I  thought  it  high  time 
to  throw  off  the  European,  and  so  ate  with  my  hands. 
A.fter  breakfast  Jaffir  took  me  to  a  summer-house  in  his 

A  A2 


356  HENRY  MARTYN 

garden,  where  his  brother-in-law  met  us,  for  the  purpose  of 
a  conversazione.  From  something  I  had  thrown  out  at 
breakfast  about  Sabat,  and  accident,  he  was  cUrious  to 
know  what  were  our  opinions  on  these  subjects.  He  then 
began  to  explain  his  own  sentiments  on  Soofi-ism,  of  which 
it  appeared  he  was  a  passionate  admirer. 

June  II. — Breakfasted  at  Anius  with  some  of  the  Em- 
bassy, and  went  with  them  afterwards  to  a  glass-house  and 
pottery.  Afterwards  called  on  Mr.  Morier,  secretary  to 
the  Embassy,  Major  D'Arcy,  and  Sir  W.  Ouseley.  Our 
host,  Jaffir  Ali  Khan,  gave  us  a  good  deal  of  information 
this  evening,  about  this  country  and  government.  He 
used  to  sit  for  hours  with  the  king  at  Teheran  telling  him 
about  India  and  the  English. 

June  12.- — Employed  about  Journal,  writing  letters, 
reading  Gulistan,  but  excessively  indolent.  In  the  morning 
I  enjoyed  much  comfort  in  prayer.  What  a  privilege  to 
have  a  God  to  go  to,  in  such  a  place,  and  in  such  company. 
To  read  and  pray  at  leisure  seemed  like  coming  home  after 
being  long  abroad.  Psalm  Ixxxix.  was  a  rich  repast  to 
me.     Why  is  it  not  always  thus  with  me  ? 

At  Shiraz  Henry  Martyn  was  in  the  very  heart  of  old 
Persia,  to  which  the  eldest  son  of  Shem  had  given  his 
name,  Elam.  One  of  the  greatest  of  the  Shahs,  Kareem 
Khan,  made  Shiraz  his  capital,  instead  of  the  not  distant 
Persepolis,  which  also  Martyn  visited.  The  founder  of  the 
present  dynasty  levelled  its  walls  and  desolated  its  gardens, 
but  the  city  of  the  six  gates  still  dominates  the  fine  valley 
which  no  tyrant  could  destroy,  and  has  still  a  pleasing 
appearance,  though  its  Dewan  Khana  has  been  stripped  of 
the  royal  pillars  to  adorn  the  palace  of  the  new  capital  of 
Teheran.  Even  Timour  respected  Shiraz  ;  when  red  with 
the  blood  of  Ispahan,  he  sent  for  Hafiz,  and  asked  how  the 
poet  dared  to  dispose  of  th^  Tartar's  richest  cities,  Bokhara 


LV  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND   SHIRAZ,    iSii         357 

and  Samarcand,  for  the  mole  on  his  lady's  cheek.  '  Can 
the  gifts  of  Hafiz  ever  impoverish  Timour  ? '  was  the 
answer ;  and  Shiraz  was  spared.  Kareem  Khan  long  after 
built  mauseleams  over  the  dust  of  the  Anacreon  of  Persia, 
and  over  that  of  Sadi,  its  Socrates  in  verse,  as  Sir  Robert 
Ker  Porter  well  describes  the  author  of  the  Gulistaii,  which 
was  iMartyn's  daily  companion  at  this  time. 


We  have  an  account  of  Shiraz '  and  the  people  of  Persia, 
written  six  years  before  Martyn's  visit,  by  Edward  Scott 
Waring,  Esq.,  of  the  Bengal  Civil  Establishment,  who, 
led  by  ill-health  and  curiosity,  followed  the  same  route 
by  Bushire  and  Kaziroon  to  the  city.  He  is  sceptical  as  to 
those  splendours  which  formed  the  theme  of  Hafiz,  and  de- 
scribes the  city  as '  worth  seeing,  but  not  worth  going  to  see.' 

'  A   Tour  to  Sheer az  by  the  route  of  Karroon  and  Feerozabad,  London, 
1807. 


358  HENRY  MARTYN 

The  t(;mb  of  the  poet '  in  the  Hafizich  garden  he  found  to 
be  of  white  marble,  on  which  two  of  his  odes  were  very 
beautifully  cut ;  a  few  durweshes  daily  visited  the  spot 
and  chanted  his  verses.  Mr.  George  N.  Curzon,  M.P.,^  the 
latest  visitor,  contrasts  the  grave  of  Hafiz  with  that  of  his 
contemporary  Dante,  at  Ravenna.  Sadi's  grave  was  then 
quite  neglected  ;  no  one  had  carved  on  it  the  beautiful 
epitaph  (paraphrased  by  Dryden)  which  he  wrote  for  himself 
on  the  Bostan  :  '  O  passenger !  who  walkest  over  my  grave, 
think  of  the  virtuous  persons  who  have  gone  before  me. 
What  has  Sadi  to  apprehend  from  being  turned  into  dust  ?  he 
was  but  earth  when  alive.  He  will  not  continue  dust  long, 
for  the  winds  will  scatter  him  over  the  whole  universe.'  Yet 
as  long  as  the  garden  of  knowledge  has  blossomed  not  a 
nightingale  has  warbled  so  sweetly  in  it.  It  would  be 
strange  if  such  a  nightingale  should  die,  and  not  a  rose 
grow  upon  its  grave.  Sir  Robert  Ker  Porter,  twelve  years 
later,  found  both  spots  alike  neglected.  One  poet  had 
written  of  the  garden  where  Hafiz  was  buried,  '  Paradise 

'  In  two  splendid  volumes,  printed  by  native  hands  under  the  sanction  of 
the  Government  at  Calcutta,  in  1891,  Lieutenant-Colonel  H.  Wilberforce 
Clarke  published  an  English  prose  translation  of  The  Divan,  written  in  the 
Fourteenth  Century',  by  Khwaja  Shamshu-d-Din  Muhammad-i-Hafiz.  The 
work  is  described  in  the  Quarterly  Review  of  January  1892,  by  a  writer  who 
tlius  begins  :  '  About  two  miles  north-west  of  Shiraz,  in  the  garden  called 
IMo-sella — which  is,  being  interpreted,  "the  place  of  prayer,"  lies,  beneath 
the  shadow  of  cypress-trees,  one  of  which  he  is  said  to  have  planted  with  his 
own  hand,  Shems-Edden  Mohammed,  surnamed  Hafiz,  or  "  the  steadfast  in 
Scripture,"  poet,  recluse,  and  mystic.  .  .  .  No  other  Persian  has  equalled 
him  in  fame— not  Sadi,  whose  monument,  now  in  ruins,  may  be  visited  near 
his  own  ;  nor  Firdusi,  nor  Jami.  Near  the  garden  tomb  is  laid  open  the  book 
of  well  nigh  seven  hundred  poems  which  he  wrote.  According  to  Sir  Gore 
Ouseley,  who  turned  over  its  pages  in  1811,  it  is  a  volume  abounding  in  bright 
and  delicate  colour,  with  illuminated  miniatures,  and  the  lovely  tints  of  the 
Persian  caligraphy. ' 

*  Persia  and  the  Persian  Question,  2  vols.  (Longmans),  1892. 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    iSii        359 

does  not  boast  such  lovely  banks  as  those  of  Rocknabcel, 
nor  such  groves  as  the  high-scented  fragrance  of  the  bowers 
of  Mosella.'  Another  now  sadly  writes,  'Though  the 
bowers  of  love  grew  on  its  banks,  and  the  sweet  song 
of  Hafiz  kept  time  with  the  nightingale  and  the  rose,  the 
summer  is  past  and  all  things  are  changed.' 

Six  years  after  Henry  Martyn's  residence  in  Shiraz, 
Sir  Robert  Ker  Porter  entered  the  city,  which  to  him, 
as  to  every  Christian  or  even  English-speaking  man, 
became  thenceforth  more  identified  with  this  century's 
apostle  to  the  Persians  than  with  even  Hafiz  and  Sadi. 
*  Faint  with  sickness  and  fatigue,'  he  writes,'  *  I  felt  a 
momentary  reviving  pleasure  in  the  sight  of  a  hospitable 
city,  and  the  cheerful  beauty  of  the  view.  As  I  drew  near, 
the  image  of  my  exemplary  countryman,  Henry  Martyn, 
rose  in  my  thoughts,  seeming  to  sanctify  the  shelter  to  which 
1  was  hastening.  He  had  approached  Shiraz  much  about 
the  same  season  of  the  year,  A.D.  181 1,  and  like  myself  was 
gasping  for  life  under  the  double  pressure  of  an  inward 
fire  and  outward  burning  sun.  He  dwelt  there  nearly  a 
year,  and  on  leaving  its  walls  the  apostle  of  Christianity 
found  no  cause  for  shaking  off  the  dust  of  his  feet  against 
the  Mohammedan  city.  The  inhabitants  had  received, 
cherished  and  listened  to  him  ;  and  he  departed  thence 
amidst  the  blessings  and  tears  of  many  a  Persian  friend. 
Through  his  means  the  Gospel  had  then  found  its  way  into 
Persia,  and,  as  it  appears  to  have  been  sown  in  kindly  hearts, 
the  gradual  effect  hereafter  may  be  like  the  harvest  to  the 
seedling.  But,  whatever  be  the  issue,  the  liberality  with 
which  his  doctrines  were  permitted  to  have  been  discussed, 
and  the   hospitality  with  which   their   promulgation  was 

'   Travels,  vol.  i.  pp.  687-8. 


36o  HENRY  MARTYN 

received  by  the  learned,  the  nobles,  and  persons  of  all  ranks, 
cannot  but  reflect  lasting  honour  on  the  Government,  and 
command  our  respect  for  the  people  at  large.  Besides, 
to  a  person  who  thinks  at  all  on  these  subjects,  the  circum- 
stances of  the  first  correct  Persian  translation  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  being  made  at  Shiraz,  and  thence  put  into  the 
royal  hands  and  disseminated  through  the  empire,  cannot 
but  give  an  almost  prophetic  emphasis  to  the  transaction, 
as  arising  from  the  very  native  country,  Persia  Proper,  of 
the  founder  of  the  empire  who  first  bade  the  temple  of 
Jerusalem  be  rebuilt,  who  returned  her  sons  from  captivity, 
and  who  was  called  by  name  to  the  Divine  commission.' 

As  the  guest  of  Jafifir  Ali  Khan,  now  in  his  house  in 
Shiraz,  and  now  in  his  orange  summer  garden,  Henry 
Martyn  gave  himself  up  to  the  two  absorbing  duties  of 
making  a  new  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into 
Persian,  assisted  by  his  host's  brother-in-law,  Mirza  Seyd 
Ali  Khan,  and  of  receiving  and,  in  the  Pauline  sense, 
disputing  with  the  learned  Mohammedans  of  the  city  and 
neighbourhood.  But  all  through  his  inner  life,  sanctified 
by  his  spiritual  experience  and  intensifying  that,  there 
continued  to  run  the  love  of  Lydia  Grenfell. 

To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Shiraz:  June  23,  1811. 

How  continually  I  think  of  you,  and  indeed  converse 
with  you,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  But  on  the  Lord's  day 
in  particular,  I  find  you  much  in  my  thoughts,  because  it 
is  on  that  day  that  I  look  abroad,  and  take  a  view  of  the 
universal  church,  of  which  I  observe  that  the  saints  in 
England  form  the  most  conspicuous  part.  On  that  day, 
too,  I  indulge  myself  with  a  view  of  the  past,  and  look 
over  again  those  happy  days,  when,  in  company  with  those 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,    1811         3G1 

I  loved,  I  went  up  to  the  house  of  God  with  a  voice  of 
praise.  How  then  should  I  fail  to  remember  her  who,  of 
all  that  are  dear  to  me,  is  t!.e  dearest  ?  It  is  true  that  I 
cannot  look  back  upon  many  days,  nor  even  many  hours 
passed  with  you — would  they  had  been  more — but  we 
have  insensibly  become  more  acquainted  with  each  other, 
so  that,  on  my  part  at  least,  it  may  be  said  that  separation 
has  brought  us  nearer  to  one  another.  It  was  a  momentary 
interview,  but  the  love  is  lasting,  everlasting.  Whether 
we  ever  meet  again  or  not,  I  am  sure  that  you  will  continue 
to  feel  an  interest  in  all  that  befalls  me. 

After  the  death  of  my  dear  sister,  you  bid  me  consider 
that  I  had  one  sister  left  while  you  remained  ;  and  you 
cannot  imagine  how  consolatory  to  my  mind  this  assurance 
is.  To  know  that  there  is  one  who  is  willing  to  think  of 
me,  and  has  leisure  to  do  so,  is  soothing  to  a  degree  that 
none  can  know  but  those  who  have,  like  me,  lost  all  their 
relations. 

I  sent  you  a  letter  from  Muscat,  in  Arabia,  which  I 
hope  you  received  ;  for  if  not,  report  will  again  erase  my 
name  from  the  catalogue  of  the  living,  as  I  sent  no  other 
to  Europe.  Let  me  here  say  with  praise  to  our  ever- 
gracious  Heavenly  Father,  that  I  am  in  perfect  health  ;  of 
my  spirits  I  cannot  say  much  ;  I  fancy  they  would  be 
better  were  '  the  beloved  Persis  '  by  my  side.  This  name, 
which  I  once  gave  you,  occurs  to  me  at  this  moment,  I 
suppose,  because  I  am  in  Persia,  entrenched  in  one  of  its 
valleys,  separated  from  Indian  friends  by  chains  of  moun- 
tains and  a  roaring  sea,  among  a  people  depraved  beyond 
all  belief,  in  the  power  of  a  tyrant  guilty  of  every  species 
of  atrocity.  Imagine  a  pale  person  seated  on  a  Persian 
carpet,  in  a  room  without  table  or  chair,  with  a  pair  of 
formidable  moustachios,  and  habited  as  a  Persian,  and  you 
see  me. 

June  26. —  Here  I  expect  to  remain  six  months.  The 
reason  is  this :  I  found  on  my  arrival  here,  that  our  attempts 


362  HENRY  MARTYN 

at  Persian  translation  in  India  were  good  for  nothing ;  at 
the  same  time  they  proposed,  with  my  assistance,  to  make 
a  new  translation.  It  was  an  offer  I  could  not  refuse,  as 
they  speak  the  purest  dialect  of  the  Persian.  My  host  is 
a  man  of  rank,  his  name  Jaffir  Ali  Khan,  who  tries  to 
make  the  period  of  my  captivity  as  agreeable  as  possible. 
|His  wife— for  he  has  but  one — never  appears  ;  parties  of 
young  ladies  come  to  see  her,  but  though  they  stay  days 
in  the  house,  he  dare  not  go  into  the  room  where  they  are. 
Without  intending  a  compliment  to  your  sex,  I  must  say 
that  the  society  here,  from  the  exclusion  of  females,  is  as 
dull  as  it  can  well  be.  Perhaps,  however,  to  a  stranger 
like  myself,  the  most  social  circles  would  be  insipid.  I  am 
visited  by  all  the  great  and  the  learned  ;  the  former  come 
out  of  respect  to  my  country,  the  latter  to  my  profession. 
The  conversation  with  the  latter  is  always  upon  religion, 
and  it  would  be  strange  indeed,  if  with  the  armour  of 
truth  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  I  were  not  able 
to  combat  with  success  the  upholders  of  such  a  system 
of  absurdity  and  sin.  As  the  Persians  are  a  far  more 
unprejudiced  and  inquisitive  people  than  the  Indians,  and 
do  not  stand  quite  so  much  in  awe  of  an  Englishman  as 
the  timid  natives  of  Hindustan,  I  hope  they  will  learn 
something  from  me ;  the  hope  of  this  reconciles  me  to 
the  necessity  imposed  on  me  of  staying  here  ;  about  the 
translation  I  dare  not  be  sanguine.  The  prevailing  opinion 
concerning  me  is,  that  I  have  repaired  to  Shiraz  in  order 
to  become  a  Mussulman.  Others,  more  sagacious,  say 
that  I  shall  bring  from  India  some  more,  under  pretence 
of  making  them  Mussulmans,  but  in  reality  to  seize  the 
place.  They  do  not  seem  to  have  thought  of  my  wish  to 
have  them  converted  to  my  religion  ;  they  have  been  so 
long  accustomed  to  remain  without  proselytes  to  their  own. 
I  shall  probably  have  very  little  to  write  about  for  some 
months  to  come,  and  therefore  I  reserve  the  extracts  of 
my  Journal  since  I  last  wrote  to  you  for  some  other  oppor- 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,   1811         363 

tunity  ;  besides  that,  the  ambassador,  with  whose  despatches 
this  will  go,  is  just  leaving  Shiraz. 

July  2. — The  Mohammedans  now  come  in  such  numbers 
to  visit  me,  that  I  am  obliged,  for  the  sake  of  my  translation- 
work,  to  decline  seeing  them.  To-day  one  of  the  apostate 
sons  of  Israel  was  brought  by  a  party  of  them,  to  prove 
the  Divine  mission  of  Mohammed  from  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures, but  with  all  his  sophistry  he  proved  nothing.  I  can 
almost  say  with  St.  Paul,  I  feel  continual  pity  in  my  heart 
for  them,  and  love  them  for  their  fathers'  sake,  and  find  a 
pleasure  in  praying  for  them.  While  speaking  of  the 
return  of  the  Jews  to  Jerusalem,  I  observed  that  the 
'  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  must  first  be  preached  in  all  the 
world,  and  then  shall  the  end  come.'  He  replied  with  a 
sneer,  '  And  this  event,  I  suppose  you  mean  to  say,  is 
beginning  to  take  place  by  your  bringing  the  Gospel  to 
Persia.' 

July  5. — I  am  so  incessantly  occupied  with  visitors  and 
my  work,  that  I  have  hardly  a  moment  for  myself  I  have 
more  and  more  reason  to  rejoice  at  my  being  sent  here  ; 
there  is  such  an  extraordinary  stir  about  religion  through- 
out the  city,  that  some  good  must  come  of  it.  I  sometimes 
sigh  for  a  little  Christian  communion,  yet  even  from  these 
Mohammedans  I  hear  remarks  that  do  me  good.  To-day, 
for  instance,  my  assistant  observed,  '  How  He  loved  those 
twelve  persons  ! '  '  Yes,'  said  I,  '  and  not  those  twelve  only, 
but  all  those  who  shall  believe  in  Him,  as  He  said,"  I  pray 
not  for  them  alone,  but  for  all  them  who  shall  believe  on 
me  through  their  word."  '  Even  the  enemy  is  constrained 
to  wonder  at  the  love  of  Christ.  Shall  not  the  object  of 
it  say.  What  manner  of  love  is  this  ?  I  have  learned  that 
I  may  get  letters  from  England  much  sooner  than 
by  way  of  India.  Be  so  good  as  to  direct  to  me,  to  the 
care  of  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  Bart,  Ambassador  at  Teheran, 
care  of  J.  Morier,  Esq.,  Constantinople,  care  of  G.  Moon, 
Esq.,    Malta,        I    have     seen     Europe     newspapers     of 


364  HENRY  MARTYN 

only  four  months'  date,  so  that  I  am  delightfully  near 
you.  May  we  live  near  one  another  in  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit,  having  one  Lord,  one  hope,  one  God  and  Father. 
In  your  prayers  for  me  pray  that  utterance  may  be  given 
me  that  I  may  open  my  mouth  boldly,  to  make  known 
the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel.  I  often  envy  my  Persian 
hearers  the  freedom  and  eloquence  with  which  they  speak 
to  me.  Were  I  but  possessed  of  their  powers,  I  some- 
times think  that  I  should  win  them  all ;  but  the  work  is 
God's,  and  the  faith  of  His  people  does  not  stand  in  the 
wisdom  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of  God.  Remember  me 
as  usual  with  the  most  unfeigned  affection  to  all  my  dear 
friends.  This  is  now  the  seventh  letter  I  send  you 
without  having  received  an  answer.     Farewell ! 

Yours  ever  most  affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 

Shiraz  :  Septembers,  1811. 

A  courier  on  his  way  to  the  capital  affords  me  the 
unexpected  pleasure  of  addressing  my  most  beloved  friend. 
It  is  now  six  months  since  I  left  India,  and  in  all  that  time 
I  have  not  heard  from  thence.  The  dear  friends  there, 
happy  in  each  other's  society,  do  not  enough  call  to  mind 
my  forlorn  condition.  Here  I  am  still,  beset  by  cavilling 
infidels,  and  making  very  little  progress  in  my  translation, 
and  half  disposed  to  give  it  up  and  come  away.  My  kind 
host,  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  being  always  within  a  walled 
town,  pitched  a  tent  for  me  in  a  garden  a  little  distance, 
and  there  I  lived  amidst  clusters  of  grapes,  by  the  side  of 
a  clear  stream  ;  but  nothing  compensates  for  the  loss  of  the 
excellent  of  the  earth.  It  is  my  business,  however,  as  you 
will  say,  and  ought  to  be  my  effort,  to  make  saints,  where 
I  cannot  find  them.  I  do  use  the  means  in  a  certain  way, 
but  frigid  reasoning  with  men  of  perverse  minds  seldom 
brings  men  to  Christ.  However,  as  they  require  it,  I 
reason,    and    accordingly   challenged    them    to    prove   the 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,   1811         365 

Divine  mission  of  their  prophet.  In  consequence  of  this,  a 
learned  Arabic  treatise  was  written  by  one  who  was  con- 
sidered as  the  most  able  man,  and  put  into  my  hands  ; 
copies  of  it  were  also  given  to  the  college  and  the  learned. 
The  writer  of  it  said  that  if  I  could  give  a  satisfactory 
answer  to  it  he  would  become  a  Christian,  and  at  all 
events  would  make  my  reply  as  public  as  I  pleased.  I  did 
answer  it,  and  after  some  faint  efforts  on  his  part  to  defend 
himself,  he  acknowledged  the  force  of  my  arguments,  but 
was  afraid  to  let  them  be  generally  known.  He  then 
began  to  inquire  about  the  Gospel,  but  was  not  satisfied 
with  my  statement.  He  required  me  to  prove  from  the 
very  beginning  the  Divine  mission  of  Moses,  as  well  as  of 
Christ ;  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures,  etc.  With  very  little 
hope  that  any  good  will  come  of  it,  I  am  now  employed 
in  drawing  out  the  evidences  of  the  truth  ;  but  oh  !  that  I 
could  converse  and  reason,  and  plead  with  power  from  on 
high.  How  powerless  are  the  best-directed  arguments  till 
the  Holy  Ghost  renders  them  effectual. 

A  few  days  ago  I  was  just  on  the  eve  of  my  departure 
for  Ispahan,  as  I  thought,  and  my  translator  had  consented 
to  accompany  me  as  far  as  Baghdad,  but  just  as  we  were 
setting  out,  news  came  that  the  Persians  and  Turks  were 
fighting  thereabouts,  and  that  the  road  was  in  consequence 
impassable.  I  do  not  know  what  the  Lord's  purpose  may 
be  in  keeping  me  here,  but  I  trust  it  will  be  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  in  that  belief  I 
abide  contentedly. 

My  last  letter  to  you  was  dated  July.  I  desired  you 
to  direct  to  me  at  Teheran.  As  it  is  uncertain  whether  I 
shall  pass  anywhere  near  there,  you  had  better  direct  to 
the  care  of  S.  Morier,  Esq.,  Constantinople,  and  I  can  easily 
get  your  letters  from  thence. 

I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  am  quite  well,  indeed,  never 
better  ;  no  returns  of  pain  in  the  chest  since  I  left  India. 
May  1  soon  receive  the  welcome  news  that  you  also  are 


366  HENRY  MARTYN 

\well,  and  prospering  even  as  your  soul  prospers.  I  read 
yt)ur  letters  incessantly,  and  try  to  find  out  something  new, 
as  I  generally  do,  but  I  begin  to  look  with  pain  at  the 
distant  date  of  the  last.  I  cannot  tell  what  to  think,  but  [ 
cast  all  my  care  upon  Him  who  hath  already  done  wonders 
for  me,  and  am  sure  that,  come  what  will,  it  shall  be  good, 
it  shall  be  best.  How  sweet  the  privilege  that  we  may  lie 
as  little  children  before  Him  !  I  find  that  my  wisdom  is 
folly  and  my  care  useless,  so  that  I  try  to  live  on  from 
day  to  day,  happy  in  His  love  and  care.  May  that  God 
who  hath  loved  us,  and  given  us  everlasting  consolation 
and  good  hope  through  grace,  bless,  love,  and  keep  my 
ever-dearest  friend  ;  and  dwelling  in  the  secret  place  of 
the  Most  High,  and  abiding  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Almighty,  may  she  enjoy  that  sweet  tranquillity  which  the 
world  cannot  disturb.  Dearest  Lydia !  pray  for  me,  and 
believe  me  to  be  ever  most  faithfully  and  affectionately 
yours, 

H.  Martyn. 

Shiraz:  October  21,  1811. 
It  is,  I  think,  about  a  month  since  I  wrote  to  you,  and  so 
little  has  occurred  since  that  I  find  scarcely  anything  in  my 
Journal,  and  nothing  worth  transcribing.  This  state  of  in- 
activity is  becoming  very  irksome  to  me.  I  cannot  get  these 
Persians  to  work,  and  while  they  are  idle  I  am  sitting 
here  to  no  purpose.  Sabat's  laziness  used  to  provoke  me 
^  excessively,  but  Persians  I  find  are  as  torpid  as  Arabs  when 
their  salary  does  not  depend  on  their  exertions,  and  both 
very  inferior  to  the  feeble  Indian,  whom  they  affect  to 
despise.  My  translator  comes  about  sunrise,  corrects  a 
little,  and  is  off,  and  I  see  no  more  of  him  for  the  day. 
Meanwhile  I  sit  fretting,  or  should  do  so,  as  I  did  at  first, 
were  it  not  for  a  blessed  employment  which  so  beguiles  the 
tcdiousness  of  the  day  that  I  hardly  perceive  it  passing. 
It  is  the  study  of  the  Psalms  in  the  Hebrew.     I  have  long 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND  SHIRAZ,   i8ir        367 

had  it  in  contemplation,  in  the  assurance,  from  the  number 
of  flat  and  obscure  passages  that  occur  in  the  translations, 
that  the  original  has  not  been  hitherto  perfectly  understood. 
I  am  delighted  to  find  that  many  of  the  most  unmeaning 
verses  in  the  version  turn  out,  on  close  examination,  to 
contain  a  direct  reference  to  the  Lord  our  Saviour.  The 
testimony  of  Jesus  is  indeed  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  He  is 
never  lost  sight  of.  Let  them  touch  what  subject  they 
will,  they  must  always  let  fall  something  about  Him.  Such 
should  we  be,  looking  always  to  Him.  I  have  often  at- 
tempted the  84th  Psalm,  endeared  to  me  on  many  accounts 
as  you  know,  but  have  not  yet  succeeded.  The  glorious 
1 6th  Psalm  I  hope  I  have  mastered.  I  write  with  the 
ardour  of  a  student  communicating  his  discoveries  and 
describing  his  difficulties  to  a  fellow  student. 

I  think  of  you  incessantly,  too  much,  I  fear,  sometimes  ; 
yet  the  recollection  of  you  is  generally  attended  with  an 
exercise  of  resignation  to  His  will.  In  prayer  I  often  feel 
what  you  described  five  years  ago  as  having  felt — a  par- 
ticular pleasure  in  viewing  you  as  with  me  before  the  Lord, 
and  entreating  our  common  Father  to  bless  both  His  chil- 
dren. When  I  sit  and  muse  my  spirit  flies  away  to  you, 
and  attends  you  at  Gurlyn,  Penzance,  Plymouth  Dock,  and 
sometimes  with  your  brother  in  London.  If  you  acknow- 
ledge a  kindred  feeling  still,  we  are  not  separated  ;  our 
spirits  have  met  and  blended.  I  still  continue  without 
intelligence  from  India ;  since  last  January  I  have  heard 
nothing  of  any  one  person  whom  I  love.  My  consolation 
is  that  the  Lord  has  you  all  under  His  care,  and  is  carrying 
on  His  work  in  the  world  by  your  means,  and  that  when  I 
emerge  I  shall  find  that  some  progress  is  made  in  India 
especially,  the  country  [  now  regard  as  my  own.  Persia 
is  in  many  respects  a  ripe  field  for  the  harvest.  Vast 
numbers  secretly  hate  and  despise  the  superstition  imposed 
on  them,  and  as  many  of  them  as  have  heard  the  Gospel 
approve  it,  but  they  dare  not  hazard  their  lives  for  the 


368  HENRY  MARTY N 

name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  I  am  sometimes  asked  whether 
the  external  appearance  of  Mohammedanism  might  not  be 
retained  with  Christianity,  and  whether  I  could  not  baptize 
them  without  their  believing  in  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  I  tell 
them,  No. 

Though  I  have  complained  above  of  the  inactivity  of 
my  translation,  I  have  reason  to  bless  the  Lord  that  He 
thus  supplies  Gibeonites  for  the  help  of  His  true  Israel. 
They  are  employed  in  a  work  of  the  importance  of  which 
/v  they  are  unconscious,  and  are  making  provision  for  future 
Persian  saints,  whose  time  is,  I  suppose,  now  near.  Roll 
back,  ye  crowded  years,  your  thick  array  !  Let  the  long, 
long  period  of  darkness  and  sin  at  last  give  way  to  the 
brighter  hours  of  light  and  liberty,  which  wait  on  the  wings 
of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness.  Perhaps  we  witness  the  dawn 
of  the  day  of  glory,  and  if  not,  the  desire  that  we  feel,  that 
Jesus  may  be  glorified,  and  the  nations  acknowledge  His 
sway,  is  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  that  when  He  shall  appear 
we  shall  also  appear  with  Him  in  glory.  Kind  love  to  all 
the  saints  who  are  waiting  His  coming. 

Yours,  with  true  affection,  my  ever  dearest  Lydia, 

H.  Martyn. 

It  is  now  determined  that  we  leave  Shiraz  in  a  week, 
and  as  the  road  through  Persia  is  impassable  through  the 
commotions  which  are  always  disturbing  some  part  or  other 
of  this  unhappy  country,  I  must  go  back  to  Bushire. 

My  scribe  finished  the  New  Testament  ;  in  correcting 
we  are  no  further  than  the  1 3th  of  Acts. 

October  24  to  26. — Resumed  my  Hebrew  studies  ;  on 
the  two  first  days  translated  the  eight  first  Psalms  into 
Persian,  the  last  all  day  long  thinking  about  the  word 
Higgaion  in  the  9th  Psalm. 

October  27  to  29. — Finished  Psalm  xii.  Reading  the 
5th  of  St.  Matthew  to  Zachariah  my  servant.  Felt  awfully 
convinced  of  guilt ;  how  fearlessly  do  I  give  way  to  cause- 


IN  PERSIA— BUSHIRE  AND   SHIRAZ,  1811         369 

less  anger,  speaking  contemptuously  of  men,  as  if  I  had 
never  read  this  chapter.  The  Lord  deliver  me  from  all 
my  wickedness,  and  write  His  holy  law  upon  my  heart,  that 
I  may  walk  circumspectly  before  Him  all  the  remaining 
days  of  my  life. 

November  i. — Everything  was  prepared  for  our  journey 
to  Baghdad  by  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  a  large  party  of  Shiraz 
ladies,  chiefly  of  Mirza  Seid  Ali's  family,  had  determined 
to  accompany  us,  partly  from  a  wish  to  visit  the  tombs, 
and  partly  to  have  the  company  of  their  relations  a  little 
longer.  But  a  letter  arriving  with  the  intelligence  that 
Bagdhad  was  all  in  confusion,  our  kafila  separated,  and  I 
resolved  to  go  on  through  Persia  to  Armenia,  and  so  to 
Syria.  But  the  season  was  too  far  advanced  for  me  to 
think  of  traversing  the  regions  of  Caucasus  just  then,  so  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  winter  at  Shiraz. 


BB 


370  HENRY  MARTYN 


CHAPTER  X 

IN    PERSIA — CONTROVERSIES  WITH   MOHAMMEDANS, 
SOOFIS,    AND    JEWS 

Henry  Martyn's  first  week  in  Persia  was  enough  to  lead 
him  to  use  such  language  as  this  :  '  If  God  rained  down 
fire  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  how  is  it  that  this  nation 
isjiot  blotted  out  from  under  heaven  ?  I  do  not  remember 
to  have  heard  such  things  of  the  Hindus,  except  the 
Sikhs ;  they  seem  to  rival  the  Mohammedans.'  The 
experienced  Bengal  civilian,  Mr.  E.  Scott  Waring,  had 
thus  summed  up  his  impressions :  *  The  generality  of 
Persians  are  sunk  in  the  lowest  state  of  profligacy  and 
infamy,  and  they  seldom  hesitate  alluding  to  crimes  which 
are  abhorred  and  detested  in  every  civilised  country  in  the 
universe.  Their  virtues  consist  in  being  most  excellent 
companions,  and  in  saying  this  we  say  everything  which 
can  be  advanced  in  their  favour.  The  same  argument 
cannot  be  advanced  for  them  which  has  been  urged  in 
favour  of  the  Greeks,  for  they  have  laws  which  stigmatise 
the  crimes  they  commit'  Every  generation  seems  to  have 
departed  farther  and  farther  from  the  character  of  the  hero- 
king,  Cyrus.  At  the  present  time,  after  two  visits  to 
Europe  by  their  Shah,  the  governing  class,  the   priestly 


FN  PERSIA  371 

order  of  Mooj tabids,  and  the  people  seem   to  be    more 
bopelessly  corrupt  tban  ever.^ 

So  early  as  tbe  twelfth  century  the  astronomer-poet  of 
Persia,  Omar  Khayyam,  of  Naishapur,  in  his  few  hundred 
tetrastichs  of  exquisite  verse  which  have  ever  since  won 
the  admiration  of  the  world,  struck  the  note  of  dreary 
scepticism  and  epicurean  sensuality,  as  the  Roman  Lucre- 
tius had  done.  His  age  was  one  of  spiritual  darkness, 
when  men  felt  their  misery,  and  all  the  more  that  they  saw 
no  means  of  relieving  it.  The  purer  creed  of  Zoroaster  had 
been  stamped  down  but  not  rooted  out  by  the  illiterate 
Arab  hordes  of  Mohammed.  A  cultured  Aryan  race 
could  not  accept  submissively  the  ignorant  fanaticism  of 
the  Semitic  sons  of  the  desert.  The  Arabs  destroyed  or 
drove  out  ultimately  to  India  the  fire-worshippers  who 
had  courage  to  prefer  their  faith  to  the  Koran  ;  the  mass 
of  the  people  and  their  leaders  worked  out  the  superficial 
Mohammedanism  identified  with  the  name  and  the  sufferings 
of  Ali.  The  new  national  religion  became  more  and  more 
a  falsehood,  alike  misrepresenting  the  moral  facts  and  the 
character  and  claims  of  God,  and  not  really  believed  in  by  the 
general  conscience.  The  few  who  from  time  to  time  arose 
endowed  with  spiritual  fervour  or  poetic  fire,  found  no  vent 
through  the  popular  religion,  and  no  satisfaction  for  the 
aching  void  of  the  heart.  The  loftier  natures  ran  by  an 
inevitable  law  of  the  human  mind  either  into  such  self- 
indulgent  despairing  scepticism  as  Omar  Khayyam's,  or 
into  the  sensual  mysticism  of  Sadi,  Jami,  and  Hafiz,  of  the 
whole  tribe  of  ascetic  enthusiasts  and  impostors,  the  Soofis, 
fakeers,  and  durweshes,  who  fill  the  world  of  Islam,  from 

'  See  article  in  the  Spectator  for  August  17,  1889,  by  a  writer  who  had 
lecently  returned  from  Persia. 


372  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  mosques  on  the  Bosporus  to  the  secret  chambers  of 
Persia  and  Oudh.  To  all  such  we  may  use  one  of  the  few 
rare  tetrastichs  which  Omar  Khayyam  was  compelled  by 
his  higher  nature  to  write  : ' 

O  heart  !  wert  thou  pure  from  the  body's  dust, 
Thou  shouldest  soar  naked  spirit  above  the  sky ; 
Highest  heaven  is  thy  native  seat — for  shame,  for  shame, 
That  thou  shouldest  stoop  to  dwell  in  a  city  of  clay  ! 

We  must  remember  all  this  when  we  come  to  the  dis- 
putations of  Henry  Martyn  with  the  doctors  of  Shiraz  and 
Persia.  They,  and  some  fifteen  millions  out  of  the  hundred 
and  eighty  millions  of  Islam  in  the  world,  are  Shi'ahs,  or 
'  followers '  of  Ali,  whom,  as  Mohammed's  first  cousin  and 
)son-in-law,  tE^y  accept  as  his  first  legitimate  imam,  kaliph, 
\)X  successor;  while  they  treat  the  de facto  kaliphs  of  the 
Soonni  Muslims — Abu  Bakr,  Omar,  and  Othman — as 
usurpers.  The  Persians  are  in  reality  more  tolerant  of 
the  Christians,  the  Jews,  and  even  the  Majusi  (Magi),  or 
fire-worshippers,  all  of  whom  are  people  of  the  Book  who 
have  received  an  inspired  revelation,  than  of  their  Soonni 
co-religionists.  The  people — though  not  of  course  their 
ruler,  who  is  of  Turkish  origin — are  more  tolerant  of  new 
sects,  such  as  that  of  Babism,  and  even  their  spiritual 
guides  or  the  more  respectable  among  these  are  in  ex- 
pectation of  a  new  leader,  the  twelfth,  the  Imam-al-Mahdi, 
who  has  once  before  been  manifested,  and  has  long  been 
waiting  secretly  for  the  final  consummation. 

We  must  also  realise  the  extent  to  which  Soofi-ism 
had  saturated  the  upper  classes  and  the  Moojtahid  order, 
who  sought  out  Henry  Martyn,  and  even  recognised    in 

'  See  article  on  the  poet  in  the  Ca'actta  Revierv  for  March   1858  (by  Pro- 
fessor E.  B.  Cowell,  LL.D.,  Cambridge). 


IN  PERSIA  373 

him  the  Divine  drunkenness,  so  that  they  always  treated 
him  and  spoke  of  him  as  a  merdi  kJiodai,  a  man  of  God. 
The  first  Soofi — a  name  taken  either  from  the  word  for 
the  woollen  dress  of  the  Asiatic  or  from  that  for  puiity — 
was  AH,  according  to  the  Shi'ahs  ;  but  this  form  of 
philosophical  mysticism,  often  attended  by  carnal  excesses 
through  which  its  devotees  express  themselves,  is  rather 
Hindu  in  its  origin.  The  deepest  thought  of  the  Asiatic, 
without  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  for  Brahman  and 
Buddhist,  Sikh  and  Soofi,  Hindu  and  Mohammedan,  this 
absorption  into  the  Divine  Essence,  so  as  to  lose  all  per- 
sonality and  individual  consciousness.  That  Essence  may 
be  the  sum  total  of  all  things — the  materialistic  side ;  or 
the  spirit  underlying  matter,  the  idealistic  side,  but  the  loss 
of  individuality  is  the  ultimate  aim.  But  such  absorp- 
tion can  be  finally  reached  only  by  works — asceticism, 
pilgrimage,  almsgiving,  meditation — and  by  cycles  of  trans- 
migrations to  sublimate  the  soul  for  unconsciousness  of  all 
that  is  objective,  and  of  self  itself.  Hafiz  is  as  full  of  wine 
and  women  in  his  poems  as  Anacreon  or  the  worst  of  the 
Latin  erotic  poets ;  but  the  Soofis,  who  revel  in  his  verses, 
maintain  that  they  '  profess  eager  desire  with  no  carnal 
affection,  and  circulate  the  cup,  but  no  material  goblet, 
since  all  things  are  spiritual  in  their  sect  ;  all  is  mystery 
within  mystery.' 

What  Henry  Martyn  learned  to  find,  in  even  his  brief 
experience  of  the  Aryan  Shi'ahs,  to  whom  he  offered  the 
love  of  Christ  and  through  the  Son  a  personal  union  with 
the  Father,  is  best  expressed  in  this  description  by  the 
most  recent  skilled  writer  on  the  people,  before  referred  to  : 

Persia  is  the  one  purely  Mohammedan  country  which, 
in  the  process  of  a  national  revolt  against  the  rigid  hide- 


374  HENRY  MARTYN 

bound  orthodoxy  of  Islam,  has  only  succeeded  in  wrapping 
more  closely  round  its  national  and  political .  life  the 
encircling  folds  of  that  '  manteau  commode,  sous  lequel 
s'abrite,  en  se  cachant  a  peine,  tout  le  passe.'  Under  the 
extravagances  and  fanaticism  of  the  Shi'ah  heresy,  the  old 
Zoroastrian  faith  lives  on,  transformed  into  an  outward  con- 
formity to  the  forms  of  the  Moslem  creed,  and  the  product  is 
that  grotesque  confusion  of  faith  and  fanaticism,  mysticism 
and  immorality,  rationalism  and  superstition,  which  is  the 
despair  and  astonishment  of  all  who  have  looked  beneath 
the  surface  of  ordinary  everyday  life  in  Persia.  Soofi-ism, 
with  its  profound  mysticism  and  godless  doctrine,  has 
found  a  congenial  home  in  Persia,  often,  indeed,  blossom- 
ing into  beautiful  literary  form  such  as  is  found  in  the 
Rubaiydt  of  Omar  Khayyam,  or  in  the  delightful  pages  of 
the  Giilistan  of  Sheikh  Sadi,  or  in  the  poems  of  Hafiz. 

i  Soofi-ism  is  the  illegitimate  offspring  of  scepticism  and 
fanaticism.  It  is  tersely  described  by  one  Persian  writer 
as  *  a  sensual  plunging  into  the  abyss  of  darkness ' ;  by 
another  as  '  a  deadly  abomination ' ;  and  by  a  third  as  '  the 
part  of  one  who  goes  raving  mad  with  unlawful  lusts.' 
Nevertheless,  as  Professor  Kuenen  has  well  observed,  the 
true  Soofi  is  a  Moslem  no  more. 

All  Martyn's  experience  among  the  Wahabees  of 
Patna  and  the  Shi'ahs  of  Lucknow  had  fitted  him  for  the 
discussions  which  were  almost  forced  upon  him  in  Persia, 
for  he  went  there  to  translate  the  New  Testament  afresh. 
But  he  had,  in  his  reading,  sought  to  prepare  himself  for 
the  Mohammedan  controversy.  When  coasting  round 
India,  he  made  this  entry  in  his  Journal :  *  i8i  \,  January  28. 
■ — Making  extracts  from  Maracci's  Refutation  of  Koran. 
Felt  much  false  shame  at  being  obliged  to  confess  my 
ignorance  of  many  things  which  I  ought  to  have  known,' 


TN  PERSIA  375 

Soofi-ism  met  him  the  day  after  he  reached  Shiraz,  on  the 
first  visit  of  Seyd  AH,  brother-in-law  of  his  host,  Jaffir  Ali 
Khan.     Thus  : 

June  lO, — He  spoke  so  indistinctly,  and  with  such 
volubility,  that  I  did  not  well  comprehend  him,  but  gathered 
from  his  discourse  that  we  are  all  parts  of  the  Deity.  I 
observed  that  we  had  not  these  opinions  in  Europe,  but 
understood  that  they  were  parts  of  the  Brahmanic  system. 
On  my  asking  him  for  the  foundation  of  his  opinions,  he 
said  the  first  argument  he  was  prepared  to  bring  forward 
was  this  :  God  exists,  man  also  exists,  but  existence  is  not 
twofold,  therefore  God  and  man  are  of  the  same  nature. 
The  minor  I  disputed  :  he  defended  it  with  many  words. 
I  replied  by  objecting  the  consequences.  Is  there  no 
difference  between  right  and  wrong .''  There  appeared  a 
difference,  he  said,  to  us,  but  before  God  it  was  nothing. 
The  waves  of  the  sea  are  so  many  aspects  and  forms,  but 
it  is  still  but  one  and  the  same  water.  In  the  outset  he 
spoke  with  great  contempt  of  all  revelation.  '  You  know,' 
said  he,  '  that  in  the  law  and  Koran,  etc.,  it  is  said,  God 
created  heaven  and  the  earthy  etc.  Reverting  to  this,  I 
asked  whether  these  opinions  were  agreeable  to  what  the 
prophets  had  spoken.  Perceiving  me  to  be  not  quite  philo- 
sophical enough  for  him,  he  pretended  some  little  reverence 
for  them,  spoke  of  them  as  good  men,  etc.,  but  added  that 
there  was  no  evidence  for  their  truth  but  what  was 
traditionary.  I  asked  whether  there  was  anything  un- 
reasonable in  God's  making  a  revelation  of  His  will.  He 
said,  No.  Whether  a  miracle  for  that  purpose  was  not 
necessary,  at  least  useful,  and  therefore  credible }  He  granted 
it.  Was  not  evidence  from  testimony  rational  evidence? 
Yes.  Have  you  then  rational  evidence  for  the  religion  of 
Mohammed  ?  He  said  the  division  of  the  moon  was 
generally  brought  forward,  but  he  saw  no  sufficient 
evidence  for  believing  it ;  he  mentioned  the  Koran  with 


376  HENRY  MARTYN' 

some  hesitation,  as  if  conscious  that  it  would  not  stand  as 
a  miracle.  I  said  eloquence  depended  upon  opinion  ;  it 
was  no  miracle  for  any  but  Arabs,  and  that  some  one 
may  yet  rise  up  and  write  better.  He  allowed  the  force  of 
the  objection,  and  said  the  Persians  were  very  far  from 
thinking  the  eloquence  of  the  Koran  miraculous,  however 
the  Arabs  might  think  so.  The  last  observation  he  made 
was,  that  it  was  impossible  not  to  think  well  of  one  by 
whose  example  and  instructions  others  had  become  great 
and  good  ;  though  therefore  little  was  known  of  Mohammed, 
he  must  have  been  something  to  have  formed  such  men  as 
Ali.  Here  the  conversation  ceased.  I  told  them  in  the 
course  of  our  conversation  that,  according  to  our  histories, 
the  law  and  Gospel  had  been  translated  into  Persian  before 
the  time  of  Mohammed.  He  said  they  were  not  to  be 
found,  because  Omar  in  his  ignorant  zeal  had  probably 
destroyed  them.  He  spoke  with  great  contempt  of  the 
'  Arab  asses.' 

Jtim  13. — Seyd  Ali  breakfasted  with  us.  Looking 
at  one  of  the  plates  in  Hutton's  Mathematical  Dictionary , 
where  there  was  a  figure  of  a  fountain  produced  by  the 
rarefaction  of  the  air,  he  inquired  into  the  principle  of  it, 
which  I  explained  ;  he  disputed  the  principle,  and  argued 
for  the  exploded  idea  that  nature  abhors  a  vacuum.  We 
soon  got  upon  religion  again.  I  showed  him  some  verses 
in  the  Koran  in  which  Mohammed  disclaims  the  power  of 
working  miracles.  He  could  not  reply.  We  talked  again 
on  the  evidence  of  testimony.  The  oldest  book  written  by 
a  Mohammedan  was  the  sermons  of  Ali.  Allowing  these 
sermons  to  be  really  his,  I  objected  to  his  testimony  for 
Mohammed,  because  he  was  interested  in  the  support  of  that 
religion.  I  asked  him  the  meaning  of  a  contested  passage  ; 
he  gave  the  usual  explanation  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  servants 
were  gone  he  turned  round  and  said,  '  It  is  only  to  make  a 
rhyme.'  This  conversation  seemed  to  be  attended  with 
good.     Our  amiable  host,  Jaffir  Ali,  Mirza  Jan,  and  Seyd 


IN  PERSIA  m 

Ali  seemed  to  be  delighted  with  my  arguments  against 
Mohammedanism,  and  did  not  at  last  evince  a  wish  to  defend 
it.  In  the  evening  Jaffir  Ali  came  and  talked  most 
agreeably  on  religious  subjects,  respecting  the  obvious 
tendency  of  piety  and  impiety,  and  the  end  to  which  they 
would  lead  in  a  future  world.  One  of  his  remarks  was,  '  If 
I  am  in  love  with  any  one,  I  shall  dream  of  her  at  night ; 
her  image  will  meet  me  in  my  sleep.  Now  death  is  but  a 
sleep  ;  if  therefore  I  love  God,  or  Christ,  when  I  fall  asleep 
in  death  I  shall  meet  Him,  so  also  if  I  love  Satan  or  his 
works.'  He  could  wish,  he  said,  if  he  had  not  a  wife  and 
children,  to  go  and  live  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  so 
disgusted  was  he  with  the  world  and  its  concerns.  I 
told  him  this  was  the  first  suggestion  in  the  minds  of 
devotees  in  all  religions,  but  that  in  reality  it  was  not  the 
way  to  escape  the  pollution  of  the  world,  because  a  man's 
wicked  heart  will  go  with  him  to  the  top  of  a  mountain.  It 
is  the  grace  of  God  changing  the  heart  which  will  alone  raise 
us  above  the  world.  Christ  commands  His  people  to  *  abide 
in  Him '  ;  this  is  the  secret  source  of  fruitfulness,  without 
which  they  are  as  branches  cut  off  from  the  tree.  He  asked 
whether  there  was  no  mention  of  a  prophet's  coming  after 
Christ.  I  said,  No.  '  Why  then,'  said  he, '  was  any  mention 
made  of  Ahmed  in  the  Koran  ? '  He  said,  '  One  day  an 
English  gentleman  said  to  me,  "  I  believe  that  Christ  was 
no  better  than  myself."  "  Why  then,"  said  I,  "  you  are 
worse  than  a  Mohammedan."  ' 

June  24. — Went  early  this  morning  to  the  Jewish 
synagogue  with  Jaffir  Ali  Khan.  At  the  sight  of  a  Moham- 
medan of  such  rank,  the  chief  person  stopped  the  service 
and  came  to  the  door  to  bring  us  in.  He  then  showed  us 
the  little  room  where  the  copies  of  the  law  were  kept.  He 
said  there  were  no  old  ones  but  at  Baghdad  and  Jerusalem  ; 
he  had  a  printed  copy  with  the  Targum,  printed  at  Leg- 
horn. The  only  European  letters  in  it  were  the  words 
*con  approbazionc,'  of  which  he  was  awxious  to  know  the 


378  HENRY  MARTYN 

meaning.  The  congregation  consisted  chiefly  of  httle 
boys,  most  of  whom  had  the  Psalter.  I  felt  much  dis- 
tressed that  the  worship  of  the  God  of  Israel  was  not 
there,  and  therefore  I  did  not  ask  many  questions.  When 
he  found  I  could  read  Hebrew,  he  was  very  curious  to 
know  who  I  might  be,  and  asked  my  name.  I  told  him 
Abdool  Museeh,  in  hopes  that  he  would  ask  more,  but  he 
did  not,  setting  me  down,  I  suppose,  as  a  Mohammedan. 

June  25. — Every  day  I  hear  stories  of  these  bloody 
Tartars.  They  allow  no  Christian,  not  even  a  Soonni,  to 
enter  their  country,  except  in  very  particular  cases,  such 
as  merchants  with  a  pass  ;  but  never  allow  one  to  return 
to  Persia  if  they  catch  him.  They  argue,  '  If  we  suffer  this 
creature  to  go  back,  he  will  become  the  father  of  other 
infidels,  and  thus  infidelity  will  spread  :  so,  for  the  sake  of 
God  and  His  prophet,  let  us  kill  him.'  About  150  years 
ago  the  men  of  Bokhara  made  an  insidious  attempt  to 
obtain  a  confession  from  the  people  of  Mushed  that  they 
were  Shi'ahs.  Their  moulvies  begged  to  know  what  evi- 
dence they  had  for  the  Khaliphat  of  Ali.  But  the  men  of 
Mushed,  aware  of  their  purpose,  said,  '  We  Shi'ahs  !  no,  we 
acknowledge  thee  for  friends.'  But  the  moollahs  of  Bokhara 
were  not  satisfied  with  this  confession,  and  three  of  them 
deliberated  together  on  what  ought  to  be  done.  One  said  : 
•  It  is  all  hypocrisy  ;  they  must  be  killed.'  The  other  said : 
'  No,  if  all  be  killed  we  shall  kill  some  Soonnis.'  The  third 
said  :  '  If  any  can  prove  that  their  ancestors  have  ever  been 
Soonnis  they  shall  be  saved,  but  not  else.'  Another 
rejoined  that,  from  being  so  long  with  Shi'ahs,  their  faith 
could  not  be  pure,  and  so  it  was  better  to  kill  them.  To 
this  another  agreed,  observing  that  though  it  was  no  sin 
before  men  to  let  them  live,  he  who  spared  them  must  be 
answerable  for  it  to  God.  When  the  three  bloody  inquisi- 
tors had  determined  on  the  destruction  of  the  Shi'ah  city, 
they  gave  the  signal,  and  150,000  Tartars  marched  down 
and  put  all  to  the  sword. 


IN  PERSIA  379 

June  26.-  We  were  to-day,  according  to  our  expecta- 
tion, just  about  setting  off  for  Ispahan,  when,  Mirza 
Ibrahim  returning,  gave  us  information  that  the  Tartars 
and  Koords  had  made  an  irruption  into  Persia,  and  that 
the  whole  Persian  army  was  on  its  march  to  Kermanshah 
to  meet  them.  Thus  our  road  is  impassable.  I  wrote 
instantly  to  the  ambassador,  to  know  what  he  would 
advise,  and  the  minister  sent  off  an  express  with  it.  Mirza 
Ibrahim,  after  reading  my  answer,  had  nothing  to  reply, 
but  made  such  a  remark  as  I  did  not  expect  from  a  man  of 
his  character,  namely,  that  he  was  sufficiently  satisfied  the 
Koran  was  a  miracle,  though  he  had  failed  to  convince  me. 
Thus  my  labour  is  lost,  except  it  be  with  the  Lord.  I 
have  now  lost  all  hope  of  ever  convincing  Mohammedans  by 
argument.  The  most  rational,  learned,  unprejudiced,  chari- 
table men  confessedly  in  the  whole  town  cannot  escape 
from  the  delusion.  I  know  not  what  to  do  but  to  pray  for  ^^ 
them.  I  had  some  warm  conversation  with  Seyd  Ali  on 
his  infidelity.  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted.  Was  there 
any  one  thing  on  earth,  of  the  same  antiquity,  as  well 
attested  as  the  miracles,  etc.,  of  Christianity  }  He  confessed 
not,  but  he  did  not  know  the  reason  he  could  not  believe : 
perhaps  it  was  levity  and  the  love  of  the  world,  or  the 
power  of  Satan,  but  he  had  no  faith  at  all.  He  could  not 
believe  even  in  a  future  state.  He  asked  at  the  end,  '  Why 
all  this  earnestness  ? '  I  said,  '  For  fear  you  should  remain 
in  hell  for  ever.'     He  was  affected,  and  said  no  more. 

June  27. — The  Prime  Minister  sent  me,  as  a  present, 
four  mules-load  of  melons  from  Kaziroon.  Seyd  Ali  reading 
the  2nd  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  where  the  star  is  said 
to  go  before  the  wise  men,  asked  :  '  Then  what  do  you  say 
to  that,  after  what  you  were  proving  yesterday  about  the 
stars  ? '  I  said  :  '  It  was  not  necessary  to  suppose  it  was  one 
of  those  heavenly  bodies  ;  any  meteor  that  had  the  appear- 
ance of  a  star  was  sufficient  for  the  purpose,  and  equally 
miraculous.'    *  Then  why  call  it  a  star  ?  '    '  Because  the  magi 


■^^ 


380  HENRY  MARTYN 

called  it  so,  for  this  account  was  undoubtedly  received 
from  them.  Philosophers  still  talk  of  a  falling  star,  though 
every  one  knows  that  it  is  not  a  star.' 

September  2  to  6. — At  Mirza  Ibrahim's  request  we  are 
employed  in  making  out  a  proof  of  the  Divine  mission  of 
Moses  and  Jesus.  He  fancies  that  my  arguments  against 
Mohammedanism  are  equally  applicable  against  these  two, 
and  that  as  I  triumphed  when  acting  on  the  offensive,  I 
shall  be  as  weak  as  he  when  I  act  on  the  defensive. 

September  J  to  11. — Employed  much  the  same;  daily 
disputes  with  Jaffir  Ali  Khan  about  the  Trinity ;  if  they 
may  be  called  disputes  in  which  I  bring  forward  no  argu- 
ments, but  calmly  refer  them  to  the  Holy  Scriptures.  They 
distress  and  perplex  themselves  without  measure,  and  I 
enjoy  a  peace,  as  respects  these  matters,  which  passeth 
understanding.  There  is  no  passage  that  so  frequently 
occurs  to  me  now  as  this  :  '  They  shall  be  all  taught  of 
God,  and  great  shall  be  the  peace  of  thy  children.'  1  have 
this  testimony  that  I  have  been  taught  of  God. 

l2ii2,  January  19. — Aga  Baba  coming-in  while  we  were 
translating,  Mirza  Seyd  Ali  told  him  he  had. been  all  the  day 
decrying  the  law.  It  is  a  favourite  tenet  of  the  Soofis, 
that  we  should  be  subject  to  no  law.  Aga  Baba  said  that 
if  Christ,  while  He  removed  the  old  law,  had  also  forborne 
to  bring  in  His  new  way.  He  would  have  done  still  better. 
I  was  surprised  as  well  as  shocked  at  such  a  remark  from 
him,  but  said  nothing.  The  poor  man,  not  knowing  how  to 
exist  without  amusement,  then  turned  to  a  game  at  chess. 
How  pitiable  is  the  state  of  fallen  man  !  Wretched,  and 
yet  he  will  not  listen  to  any  proposals  of  relief:  stupidly 
ignorant,  yet  too  wise  to  submit  to  learn  anything  from 
God.  I  have  often  wondered  to  see  how  the  merest  dunce 
thinks  himself  qualified  to  condemn  and  ridicule  revealed 
religion.  These  Soofis  pretend  too  to  be  latitudinarians, 
assigning  idolaters  the  same  rank  as  others  in  nearness  to 
God,  yet  they  have  all  in  their  turn  spoken  contemptuously 


IN  PERSIA  381 

of  the  Gospel.  Perhaps  because  it  is  so  decisively  exclu- 
sive. I  begin  now  to  have  some  notion  of  Soofi-ism.  The 
principle  is  this  :  Notwithstanding  the  good  and  evil, 
pleasure  and  pain  that  is  in  the  world,  God  is  not  affected 
by  it.  He  is  perfectly  happy  with  it  all  ;  if  therefore  we 
can  become  like  God  we  shall  also  be  perfectly  happy  in 
every  possible  condition.     This,  therefore,  is  salvation. 

January  21. — Aga  Boozong,  the  most  magisterial  of 
the  Soofis,  stayed  most  of  the  day  with  Mirza  Seyd  AH 
and  Jafifir  Ali  Khan  in  my  room.  His  speech  as  usual — 
all  things  are  only  so  many  forms  of  God  ;  paint  as  many 
figures  as  you  will  on  a  wall,  it  is  still  but  the  same  wall. 
Tired  of  constantly  hearing  this  same  vapid  truism,  I  asked 
him,  '  What  then  ?  With  the  reality  of  things  we  have 
nothing  to  do,  as  we  know  nothing  about  them.'  These 
forms,  if  he  will  have  it  that  they  are  but  forms,  affect  us 
with  pleasure  and  pain,  just  as  if  they  were  more  real.  He 
said  we  were  at  present  in  a  dream  ;  in  a  dream  we  think 
visionary  things  real — when  we  wake  we  discover  the 
delusion.  I  asked  him  how  did  he  know  but  that  this 
dream  might  continue  for  ever.  But  he  was  not  at  all 
disposed  to  answer  objections,  and  was  rather  vexed  at  my 
proposing  them.  So  I  let  him  alone  to  dissent  as  he 
pleased.  Mirza  Seyd  Ali  read  him  some  verses  of  St.  Paul, 
which  he  condescended  to  praise,  but  in  such  a  way  as  to 
be  more  offensive  to  me  than  if  he  had  treated  it  with 
contempt.  He  repeated  again  how  much  he  was  pleased 
with  the  sentiments  of  Paul,  as  if  his  being  pleased  with 
them  would  be  a  matter  of  exultation  to  me.  He  said  they 
were  excellent  precepts  for  the  people  of  the  world.  The 
parts  Mirza  Seyd  Ali  read  were  Titus  iii.  and  Hebrews  viii. 
On  the  latter  Mirza  Seyd  Ali  observed  that  he  (Paul)  had 
not  written  ill,  but  something  like  a  good  reasoner.  Thus 
they  sit  in  judgment  on  God's  Word,  never  dreaming  that 
they  are  to  be  judged  by  it.  On  the  contrary,  they  regard 
the  best  parts,  as  they  call    them,  as    approaching  only 


i^ 


i^ 


382  HENRY  MARTYN 

towards  the  heights  of  Soofi-ism.  Aga  Boozong  finally 
observed  that  as  for  the  Gospels  he  had  not  seen  much  in 
them,  but  the  Epistles  he  was  persuaded  would  make  the 
book  soon  well  known.  There  is  another  circumstance  that 
gained  Paul  importance  in  the  eyes  of  Mirza  Seyd  AH, 
which  is,  that  he  speaks  of  Mark  and  Luke  as  his  servants. 
■  January  24. — Found  Seyd  Ali  rather  serious  this  even- 
ing. He  said  he  did  not  know  what  to  do  to  have  his  mind 
made  up  about  religion.  Of  all  the  religions  Christ's  was 
tl^  best,  but  whether  to  prefer  this  to  Soofi-ism  he  could  not 
tfell.  In  these  doubts  he  was  tossed  to  and  fro,  and  is  often 
kept  awake  the  whole  night  in  tears.  He  and  his  brother 
talk  together  on  these  things  till  they  are  almost  crazed. 
Before  he  was  engaged  in  this  work  of  translation,  he  says, 
he  used  to  read  about  two  or  three  hours  a  day  ;  now  he 
can  do  nothing  else  ;  has  no  inclination  for  anything  else, 
and  feels  unhappy  if  he  does  not  correct  his  daily  portion. 
His  late  employment  has  given  a  new  turn  to  his  thoughts 
as  well  as  to  those  of  his  friends  ;  they  had  not  the  most 
distant  conception  of  the  contents  of  the  New  Testament. 
He  says  his  Soofi  friends  are  exceedingly  anxious  to  see  the 
Epistles,  from  the  accounts,  he  gives  of  them,  and  also  he  is 
sure  that  almost  the  whole  of  Shiraz  are  so  sensible  of  the 
load  of  unmeaning  ceremonies  in  which  their  religion  con- 
sists, that  they  will  rejoice  to  see  or  hear  of  anything  like 
freedom,  and  that  they  would  be  more  willing  to  embrace 
Christ  than  the  Soofis,  who,  after  taking  so  much  pains  to  be 
independent  of  all  law,  would  think  it  degrading  to  submit 
themselves  to  any  law  again,  however  light. 

February  4. — Mirza  Seyd  Ali,  who  has  been  enjoying 
himself  in  idleness  and  dissipation  these  two  days  instead 
of  translating,  returned  full  of  evil  and  opposition  to  the 
Gospel.  While  translating  2  Peter  iii.,  *  Scoffers  .  .  .  saying. 
Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  } '  he  began  to  ask 
'  Well,  they  are  in  the  right ;  where  are  any  of  His  promises 
fulfilled  ? '     I  said  the  heathen  nations  have  been  given  to 


IN  PERSIA  383 

Christ  for  an  inheritance.  He  said  No  ;  it  might  be  more 
truly  said  that  they  are  given  to  Mohammed,  forwhat  are 
the  Christian  nations  compared  with  Arabia,  Persia,  India, 
Tartary,  etc. .''  I  set  in  opposition  all  Europe,  Russia, 
Armenia,  and  the  Christians  in  the  Mohammedan  countries. 
He  added,  at  one  time  when  the  Abbasides  carried  their 
arms  to  Spain,  the  Christian  name  was  almost  extinct.  ,  I 
rejoined,  however,  that  he  was  not  yet  come  to  the  end  of 
things,  that  Mohammedanism  was  in  itself  rather  a  species  of 
heretical  Christianity,  for  many  professing  Christians  denied 
the  Divinity  of  our  Lord,  and  treated  the  Atonement  as  a 
fable.  '  They  do  right,'  said  he  ;  '  it  is  contrary  to  reason  that 
one  person  should  be  an  atonement  for  all  the  rest.  How  /^ 
do  you  prove  it  ^  it  is  nowhere  said  in  the  Gospels.  Christ 
said  He  was  sent  only  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel.'  I  urged  the  authority  of  the  Apostles,  founded 
upon  His  word,  '  Whatsoever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth  shall 
be  bound  in  heaven,  and  whatsoever  ye  shall  loose  on 
earth,'  etc.  '  Why,  what  are  we  to  think  of  them,'  said  he, 
'  when  we  see  Paul  and  Barnabas  quarrelling  ;  Peter  acting 
the  hypocrite,  sometimes  eating  with  the  Gentiles,  and 
then  withdrawing  from  fear ;  and  again,  all  the  Apostles, 
not  knowing  what  to  do  about  the  circumcision  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  disputing  among  themselves  about  it  ?  '  I 
answered,  '  The  infirmities  of  the  Apostles  have  nothing  to 
do  with  their  authority.  It  is  not  everything  they  do  that 
we  are  commanded  to  imitate,  nor  everything  they  might 
say  in  private,  if  we  knew  it,  that  we  are  obliged  to  attend 
to,  but  the  commands  they  leave  for  the  Church  ;  and  here 
there  is  no  difference  among  them.  As  for  the  discussions 
about  circumcision,  it  does  not  at  all  appear  that  the 
Apostles  themselves  were  divided  in  their  opinions  about  it ; 
the  difficulty  seems  to  have  been  started  by  those  believers 
who  had  been  Pharisees.'  '  Can  you  give  me  a  proof,'  said 
he,  '  of  Christianity,  that  I  may  either  believe,  or  be  left 
without  excuse  if  I  do  not  believe — a  proof  like  that  of  one 


384  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  the  theorems  of  Euclid  ? '  I  said  it  is  not  to  be 
expected,' but  enough  may  be  shown  to  leave  every 
man  inexcusable.  '  Well,'  said  he,  '  though  this  is  only 
probability,  I  shall  be  glad  of  that'  '  As  soon  as  our  Testa- 
ment is  finished,'  I  replied,  '  we  will,  if  you  please,  set  about 
our  third  treatise,  in  which,  if  I  fail  to  convince  you,  I  can 
at  least  state  the  reasons  why  I  believed.'  '  You  had  better,' 
said  he,  '  begin  with  Soofi-ism,  and  show  that  that  is  absurd' 
— meaning,  I  suppose,  that  I  should  premise  something 
about  the  necessity  of  revelation.  After  a  little  pause,  '  I 
suppose,'  said  he,  '  you  think  it  sinful  to  sport  with  the 
characters  of  those  holy  men  .'' '  I  said  I  had  no  objection 
to  hear  all  their  objections  and  sentiments,  but  I  could 
not  bear  anything  spoken  disrespectfully  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  ;  '  and  yet  there  is  not  one  of  your  Soofis,'  I  added, 
'  but  has  said  something  against  Him.  Even  your  master, 
Mirza  Abul  Kasim,  though  he  knows  nothing  of  the  Gospel 
or  law,  and  has  not  even  seen  them,  presumed  to  say  that 
Moses,  Christ,  Mohammed,  etc.,  were  all  alike.  I  did  not 
act  in  this  way.  In  India  I  made  every  inquiry, 
both  about  Hinduism  and  Mohammedanism.  I  read 
the  Koran  through  twice.  On  my  first  arrival  here  I 
made  it  my  business  to  ask  for  your  proofs,  so  that  if  I 
condemned  and  rejected  it,  it  was  not  without  consideration. 
Your  master,  therefore,  spoke  rather  precipitately.'  He  did 
not  attempt  to  defend  him,  but  said,  '  You  never  heard  me 
speak  lightly  of  Jesus.'  '  No  ;  there  is  something  so  awfully 
pure  about  Him  that  nothing  is  to  be  said.' 

March  1 8. — Sat  a  good  part  of  the  day  with  Abul  Kasim, 
the  Soofi  sage,  Mirza  Seyd  Ali,  and  Aga  Mohammed 
Hasan,  who  begins  to  be  a  disciple  of  the  old  man's.  On  ' 
my  expressing  a  wish  to  see  the  Indian  book,  it  was  pro- 
posed to  send  for  it,  which  they  did,  and  then  read  it  aloud. 
The  stoicism  of  it  I  controverted,  and  said  that  the  entire 
annihilation  of  the  passions,  which  the  stupid  Brahman 
described  as  perfection,  was  absurd.     On  my  continuing  to 


IN  PERSIA  385 

treat  other  parts  of  the  book  with  contempt,  the  old  man 
was  a  little  roused,  and  said  that  this  was  the  way  that 
pleased  them,  and  my  way  pleased  me.  That  thus  God 
provided  something  for  the  tastes  of  all,  and  as  the  master 
of  a  feast  provides  a  great  variety,  some  CRtpilao,  others 
prefer  kuhab,  etc.  On  my  again  remarking  afterwards 
how  useless  all  these  descriptions  of  perfection  were,  since 
no  rules  were  given  for  attaining  it,  the  old  man  asked  what 
in  my  opinion  was  the  way.  I  said  we  all  agreed  in  one 
point,  namely,  that  union  with  God  was  perfection  ;  that 
in  order  to  that  we  must  receive  the  Spirit  of  God,  which 
Spirit  was  promised  on  condition  of  believing  in  Jesus. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  disputing  about  Jesus,  His  being 
exclusively  the  visible  God.  Nothing  came  of  it  appa- 
rently, but  that  Mirza  Seyd  Ali  afterwards  said,  'There  is 
no  getting  at  anything  like  truth  or  certainty.  We  know 
nothing  at  all ;  you  are  in  the  right,  who  simply  believe 
because  Jesus  had  said  so.' 

March  22. — These  two  days  I  have  been  thinking  from 
morning  to  night  about  the  Incarnation  ;  considering  if  I 
could  represent  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  obviate  in  any  degree 
the  prejudices  of  the  Mohammedans  ;  not  that  I  wished  to 
make  it  appear  altogether  agreeable  to  reason,  but  I  wanted 
to  give  a  consistent  account  of  the  nature  and  uses  of  this 
doctrine,  as  they  are  found  in  the  different  parts  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  One  thing  implied  another  to  such  an 
extent  that  I  thought  necessarily  of  the  nature  of  life,  death, 
spirit,  soul,  animal  nature,  state  of  separate  spirits,  person- 
ality, the  person  of  Christ,  etc.,  that  I  was  quite  worn  out 
with  fruitless  thought.  Towards  evening  Carapiet  with 
another  Armenian  came  and  conversed  on  several  points 
of  theology,  such  as  whether  the  fire  of  hell  were  literally 
fire  or  only  remorse,  whether  the  Spirit  proceeded  from  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  or  from  the  Father  only,  and  how  wc 
are  to  reconcile  those  two  texts,  that  '  for  every  idle  word 
that  men  shall  speak,'  etc.,  with  the  promises  of  salvation 

C  C 


386  HENRY  MARTYN 

through  faith  ?  Happening  to  speak  in  praise  of  some 
person  who  practised  needless  austerities,  I  tried  to  make 
him  understand  that  this  was  not  the  way  of  the  Gospel. 
He  urged  these  texts--' Blessed  are  they  that  mourn,' 
'  Blessed  are  ye  that  weep  now,'  etc.  While  we  were  dis- 
cussing this  point,  Mohammed  Jaffir,  who  on  a  former 
occasion  had  conversed  with  me  a  good  deal  about  the 
Gospel,  came  in.  I  told  him  the  question  before  us  was  an 
important  one,  namely,  how  the  love  of  sin  was  to  be  got 
out  of  the  heart.  The  Armenian  proceeded,  '  If  I  wish  to 
go  to  a  dancing  or  drinking,  I  must  deny  myself.'  Whether 
he  meant  to  say  that  this  was  sufficient  I  do  not  know, 
but  the  Mohammedan  understanding  him  so,  replied  that  he 
had  read  yesterday  in  the  Gospel,  '  that  whosoever  looketh 
upon  a  woman,'  etc.,  from  which  he  inferred  that  obedience 
of  the  heart  was  requisite.  This  he  expressed  with  such 
propriety  and  gracefulness,  that,  added  to  the  circumstance 
of  his  having  been  reading  the  Gospel,  I  was  quite  delighted, 
and  thought  with  pleasure  of  the  day  when  the  Gospel 
should  be  preached  by  Persians.  After  the  Armenians 
were  gone  we  considered  the  doctrines  of  the  Soofis  a 
little.  Finding  me  not  much  averse  to  what  he  thought 
some  of  their  most  exceptionable  tenets,  such  as  union  with 
God,  he  brought  this  argument  :  '  You  will  allow  that  God 
cannot  bind,  compel,  command  Himself  '  No,  He  cannot.' 
*  Well,  if  we  are  one  with  God,  we  cannot  be  subject  to  any 
of  His  laws.'  I  replied  :  *  Our  union  with  God  is  such  an 
union  as  exists  between  the  members  of  a  body.  Notwith- 
standing the  union  of  the  hand  with  the  heart  and  head,  it 
is  still  subject  to  the  influence  and  control  of  the  ruling 
power  in  the  person.'  We  had  a  great  deal  of  conversation 
afterwards  on  the  Incarnation.  All  his  Mohammedan  pre- 
judices revolted.  '  Sir,  what  do  you  talk  of .-'  the  self- 
^existent  become  contained  in  space,  and  suffer  need  ! '  I 
told  him  that  it  was  the  manhood  of  Christ  that  suffered 
need,  and  as  for  the  essence  of  the  Deity,  if  he  would  tell 


IN  PERSIA  387 

me  anything  about  it,  where  or  how  it  was,  I  would  tell  \ 
him  how  the  Godhead  was  in  Christ.  After  an  effort  or 
two  he  found  that  every  term  he  used  implied  our  frightful 
doctrine,  namely,  personality,  locality,  etc.  This  is  a 
thought  that  is  now  much  in  my  mind —  that  it  is  so  ordered 
that,  since  men  never  can  speak  of  God  but  through  the 
medium  of  language,  which  is  all  material,  nor  think  of  God 
but  through  the  medium  of  material  objects,  they  do  un- 
willingly come  to  God  through  the  Word,  and  think  of  God 
by  means  of  an  Incarnation. 

March  28. — The  same  person  came  again,  and  we  talked 
incessantly  for  four  hours  upon  the  evidences  of  the  two 
religions,  the  Trinity,  Incarnation,  etc.,  until  I  was  quite 
exhausted,  and  felt  the  pain  in  my  breast  which  I  used  to 
have  in  India. 

April  y. — Observing  a  party  of  ten  or  a  dozen  poor 
Jews  with  their  priest  in  the  garden,  I  attacked  them,  and 
disputed  a  little  with  the  Levite  on  Psalms  ii.,  xvi.  and  xxiv. 
They  were  utterly  unacquainted  with  Jesus,  and  were  sur- 
prised at  what  I  told  them  of  His  Resurrection  and  Ascen- 
sion. The  priest  abruptly  broke  off  the  conversation,  told 
me  he  would  call  and  talk  with  me  in  my  room,  and  carried 
away  his  flock.  Reading  afterwards  the  story  of  Joseph 
and  his  brethren,  I  was  much  struck  with  the  exact  corre- 
spondence between  the  type  and  antitype.  Jesus  will  at 
last  make  Himself  known  to  His  brethren,  and  then  they 
will  find  that  they  have  been  unknowingly  worshipping  Him 
while  worshipping  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of  Israel. 

April  8. — The  Prince  dining  to-day  at  a  house  on  the 
side  of  a  hill,  which  commands  a  view  of  the  town,  issued 
an  order  for  all  the  inhabitants  to  exhibit  fireworks  for  his 
amusement,  or  at  least  to  make  bonfires  on  the  roofs  of 
their  houses,  under  penalty  of  five  tomans  in  case  of  neglect. 
Accordingly  fire  was  flaming  in  all  directions,  enough  to 
have  laid  any  city  in  Europe  in  ashes.  One  man  fell  ofi"  a 
roof  and  was  killed,  and  two  others  in  the  same  way  ^^•ere 

c  c  2 


388  HENRY  MARTYN 

so  hurt  that  their  lives  were  despaired  of,  and  a  woman 
lost  an  eye  by  the  stick  of  a  sky-rocket. 

July  g. — Made  an  extraordinary  effort,  and  as  a  Tartar 
was  going  off  instantly  to  Constantinople,  wrote  letters 
to  Mr  Grant  for  permission  to  come  to  England,  and  to  Mr. 
Simeon  and  Lydia,  informing  them  of  it ;  but  I  have 
scarcely  the  remotest  expectation  of  seeing  it,  except  by 
looking  at  the  Almighty  power  of  God. 

Dined  at  night  at  the  ambassador's,  who  said  he  was 
determined  to  give  every  possible  rc/at  to  my  bogk,  by 
presenting  it  himself  to  the  King.  My  fever  never  ceased 
to  rage  till  the  21st,  during  all  which  time  every  effort  was 
made  to  subdue  it,  till  I  had  lost  all  my  strength  and 
almost  all  my  reason.  They  now  administer  bark,  and  it 
may  please  God  to  bless  the  tonics  ;  but  I  seem  too  far 
gone,  and  can  only  say,  '  Having  a  desire  to  depart  and  be 
with  Christ,  which  is  far  better.' 

To  Rev.  D.  Corrie 

Shiraz:  September  12,  181 1. 

Dearest  Brother, — I  can  hardly  conceive,  or  at  least  am 
not  willing  to  believe,  that  you  would  forget  me  six  suc- 
cessive months  ;  I  conclude,  therefore,  that  you  must  have 
written,  though  I  have  not  seen  your  handwriting  since  I 
left  Calcutta. 

The  Persian  translation  goes  on  but  slowly.  I  and  my 
translator  have  been  engaged  in  a  controversy  with  his 
uncle,  which  has  left  us  little  leisure  for  anything  else.  As 
there  is  nothing  at  all  in  this  dull  place  to  take  the  attention 
of  the  people,  no  trade,  manufactures,  or  news,  every  event 
at  all  novel  is  interesting  to  them.  You  may  conceive, 
therefore,  what  a  strong  sensation  was  produced  by  the 
stab  I  aimed  at  the  vitals  of  Mohammed.  Before  five 
people  had  seen  what  I  wrote,  defences  of  Islam  swarmed 
into  ephemeral  being  from  all  the  rnouiyi  maggots  of  the 


IN  PERSIA  389 

place,  but  the  more  judicious  men  were  ashamed  to  let 
me  see  them.  One  moollah,  called  Aga  xAkbar,  was  deter- 
mined to  distinguish  himself.  He  wrote  with  great  acri- 
mony on  the  margin  of  my  pamphlet,  but  passion  had 
blinded  his  reason,  so  that  he  smote  the  wind.  One  day 
I  was  on  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  Prime  Minister,  and 
sitting  in  great  state  by  his  side,  fifty  visitors  in  the  same 
hall,  and  five  hundred  clients  without,  when  who  should 
make  his  appearance  but  my  tetric  adversary,  the  said 
Aga  Akbar,  who  came  for  the  express  purpose  of  presenting 
the  Minister  with  a  piece  he  had  composed  in  defence  of 
the  prophet,  and  then  sitting  down  told  me  he  should 
present  me  with  a  copy  that  day.  '  There  are  four  answers,' 
said  he,  'to  your  objection  against  his  using  the  sword.' 
'  Very  well,'  said  I,  '  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  them,  though  I 
made  no  such  objection.'  Eager  to  display  his  attainments 
in  all  branches  of  science,  he  proceeded  to  call  in  question 
the  truth  of  our  European  philosophy,  and  commanded 
me  to  show  that  the  earth  moved,  and  not  the  sun.  I  told 
him  that  in  matters  of  religion,  where  the  salvation  of  men 
was  concerned,  I  would  give  up  nothing  to  them,  but  as 
for  points  in  philosophy  they  might  have  it  all  their  own 
way.  This  was  not  what  he  wanted  ;  so  after  looking  at 
the  Minister,  to  know  if  it  was  not  a  breach  of  good  manners 
to  dispute  at  such  a  time,  and  finding  that  there  was 
nothing  contrary  to  custom,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  he 
rather  expected  an  answer,  I  began,  but  soon  found  that 
he  could  comprehend  nothing  without  diagrams.  A 
moonshi  in  waiting  was  ordered  to  produce  his  imple- 
ments, so  there  was  I,  drawing  figures,  while  hundreds  of 
men  were  looking  on  in  silence. 

But  all  my  trouble  was  in  vain — the  moollah  knew 
nothing  whatever  of  mathematics,  and  therefore  could  not 
understand  my  proofs.  The  Persians  are  far  more  curious 
and  clever  than  the  Indians.  Wherever  I  go  they  ask  me 
questions  in  philosophy,  and  are  astonished  that  1  do  not 


390  HENRY  MARTYN 

know  everything.  One  asked  me  the  reason  of  the  proper- 
ties of  the  magnet.  I  told  him  I  knew  nothing  about  it. 
'  But  what  do  your  learned  men  say  ?  '  '  They  know  nothing 
about  it.'     This  he  did  not  at  all  credit. 

I  do  not  find  myself  improving  in  Persian  ;  indeed,  I 
take  no  pains  to  speak  it  well,  not  perceiving  it  to  be  of 
much  consequence.  India  is  the  land  where  we  can  act 
at  present  with  most  effect.  It  is  true  that  the  Persians 
are  more  susceptible,  but  the  terrors  of  an  inquisition  are 
always  hanging  over  them.  I  can  now  conceive  no  greater 
happiness  than  to  be  settled  for  life  in  India,  superintending 
native  schools,  as  we  did  at  Patna  and  Chunar.  To  preach 
so  as  to  be  readily  understood  by  the  poor  is  a  difficulty 
that  appears  to  me  almost  insuperable,  besides  that  grown- 
up people  are  seldom  converted.  However,  why  should 
we  despair?  If  I  live  to  see  India  again,  I  shall  set  to 
and  learn  Hindi  in  order  to  preach.  The  day  may  come 
when  even  our  word  may  be  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
with  power.  It  is  now  almost  a  year  since  I  left  Cawnpore, 
and  my  journey  is  but  beginning :  when  shall  I  ever  get 
back  again  ?  I  am  often  tempted  to  get  away  from  this 
prison,  but  again  I  recollect  that  some  years  hence  I  shall 
say :  '  When  I  was  at  Shiraz  why  did  not  I  get  the  New 
Testament  done  ?  What  difference  would  a  few  months 
have  made  ?  '  In  August  I  passed  some  days  at  a  vineyard, 
about  a  parasang  from  the  city,  where  my  host  pitched  a 
tent  for  me,  but  it  was  so  cold  at  night  that  I  was  glad  to 
get  back  to  the  city  again.  Though  I  occupy  a  room  in 
his  house,  I  provide  for  myself  Victuals  are  cheap  enough, 
especially  fruit ;  the  grapes,  pears,  and  water-melons  are 
delicious  ;  indeed,  such  a  country  for  fruit  I  had  no  con- 
ception of  I  have  a  fine  horse  which  I  bought  for  less 
than  a  hundred  rupees,  on  which  I  ride  every  morning 
round  the  walls.  My  vain  servant,  Zechariah,  anxious 
chat  his  master  should  appear  like  an  ameer,  furnished 
him  {i.e.  the  horse)  with  a  saddle,  or  rather  a  pillion,  which 


=  IN -PERSIA  391 

fairly  covers  his  whole  back  ;  it  has  all  the  colours  of  the 
rainbow,  but  yellow  is  predominant,  and  from  it  hang  down 
four  large  tassels,  also  yellow.  But  all  my  finery  does  not 
defend  me  from  the  boys.  Some  cry  out,  '  Ho,  Russ  ! ' 
others  cry  out,  '  Feringhi ! '  One  day  a  brickbat  was  flung 
at  me,  and  hit  me  in  the  hip  with  such  force  that  I  felt  it 
quite  a  providential  escape.  Most  of  the  day  I  am  about 
the  translation,  sometimes,  at  a  leisure  hour,  trying  at 
Isaiah,  in  order  to  get  help  from  the  Persian  Jews.  My 
Hebrew  reveries  have  quite  disappeared,  merely  for  want 
of  leisure.  I  forgot  to  say  that  I  have  been  to  visit  the 
ruins  of  Persepolis,  but  this,  with  many  other  things,  must 
be  reserved  for  a  hot  afternoon  at  Cawnpore. 

What  would  I  give  for  a  few  lines  from  you,  to  say 
how  the  men  come  on,  and  whether  their  numbers  are  in- 
creasing, whether  you  meet  the  Sherwoods  at  the  evening 
repast,  as  when  I  was  there!  My  kindest  love  to  them, 
your  sister,  and  all  that  love  us  in  the  truth.  May  the 
grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  your  spirit,  and 
with  your  faithful  and  affectionate  brother, 

H.  Martyn. 

The  Secretary  to  the  British  Embassy  to  Persia,  and 
afterwards  himself  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  its  Court, 
Mr.  James  Morier,  has  given  us  a  notable  sketch  of  Henry 
Martyn  as  a  controversialist  for  Christ,  and  of  the  impres- 
sion that  he  made  on  the  officials,  priests,  and  people  of  all 
classes.  As  the  author  of  the  Adventures  of  Hajji  Baba 
of  Ispahan  and  other  life-like  tales  of  the  East,  and  as  an 
accomplished  traveller,  the  father  of  the  present  Ambassa- 
dor to  St.  Petersburg  is  the  first  authority  on  such  a  subject. 
In  his  Second  fourney  tJirougJi  Persia,  Armenia,  and  Asia 
Minor  to  Constantinople  '  he  thus  writes  : 

The  Persians,  who  were  struck  with  his  humility,  his 

'  London,  18 18,  pp.  223-4. 


392  HENRY  MARTYN 

patience  and  resignation,  called  him  a  merdi  khodai,  a 
man  of  God,  and  indeed  every  action  of  his  life  seemed  to 
be  bent  towards  the  one  object  of  advancing  the  interest 
of  the  Christian  religion.  When  he  was  living  at  Shiraz, 
employed  in  his  translation,  he  neither  sought  nor  shunned 
the  society  of  the  natives,  many  of  whom  constantly  drew 
him  into  arguments  about  religion,  with  the  intention  of 
persuading  him  of  the  truth  and  excellence  of  theirs.  His 
answers  were  such  as  to  stimulate  them  to  further  argu- 
ments, and  in  spite  of  their  pride  the  principal  moollahs, 
who  had  heard  of  his  reputation,  paid  him  the  first  visit, 
and  endeavoured  in  every  way  to  entangle  him  in  his  talk. 
At  length  he  thought  that  the  best  mode  of  silencing  them 
was  by  writing  a  reply  to  the  arguments  which  they 
brought  against  our  belief  and  in  favour  of  their  own.  His 
tract  was  circulated  through  different  parts  of  Persia,  and 
was  sent  from  hand  to  hand  to  be  answered.  At  length  it 
made  its  way  to  the  King's  court,  and  a  moollah  of  high 
consideration,  who  resided  at  Hamadan,  and  who  was 
esteemed  one  of  the  best  controversialists  in  the  country, 
was  ordered  to  answer  it.  After  the  lapse  of  more  than  a 
year  he  did  answer  it,  but  such  were  the  strong  positions 
taken  by  Mr.  Martyn  that  the  Persians  themselves  were 
ashamed  of  the  futility  of  their  own  attempts  to  break 
them  dow^n  :  for,  after  they  had  sent  their  answer  to  the 
ambassador,  they  requested  that  it  might  be  returned  to 
them  again,  as  another  answer  was  preparing  to  be  given 
Such  answer  has  never  yet  been  given  ;  and  we  may  infer 
from  this  circumstance  that  if,  in  addition  to  the  Scriptures, 
some  plain  treatises  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  ac- 
companied by  strictures  upon  the  falseness  of  the  doctrines 
of  Mohammed,  were  translated  into  Persian  and  dis- 
seminated throughout  that  country,  very  favourable  effects 
would  be  produced.  Mr.  Martyn  caused  a  copy  of  his 
translation  to  be  beautifully  written,  and  to  be  presented 
by  the  ambassador  to  the  King,  who  was  pleased  to  receive 


IN  PERSIA  393 

it  very  graciously.  A  copy  of  it  was  made  by  Mirza 
Baba,  a  Persian  wlio  gave  us  lessons  in  the  Persian 
language,  and  he  said  that  many  of  his  countrymen  asked 
his  permission  to  take  Mr.  Martyn's  translation  to  their 
homes,  where  they  kept  it  for  several  days,  and  expressed 
themselves  much  edified  by  its  contents.  But  whilst  he  was 
employed  in  copying  it,  moollahs  (the  Persian  scribes)  used 
frequently  to  sit  with  him  and  revile  him  for  undertaking 
such  a  work.  On  reading  the  passage  where  our  Saviour 
is  called  '  the  Lamb  of  God,'  they  scorned  and  ridiculed 
the  simile,  as  if  exulting  in  the  superior  designation  of 
Ali,  who  is  called  Sheer  Khodai,  the  Lion  of  God.  Mirza 
Baba  observed  to  them  :  *  The  lion  is  an  unclean  beast ;  it 
preys  upon  carcases,  and  you  are  not  allowed  to  wear  its 
skin  because  it  is  impure ;  it  is  destructive,  fierce,  and 
man's  enemy.  The  lamb,  on  the  contrary,  is  in  every  way 
halal,  or  lawful.  You  eat  its  flesh,  you  wear  its  skin  on 
your  head,  it  does  no  harm,  and  is  an  animal  beloved. 
Whether  is  it  best,  then,  to  say  the  Lamb  of  God,  or  the 
Lion  of  God  ? ' 

Henry  Martyn  had  not  been  two  months  in  Shiraz 
when,  as  his  attendant  expressed  it,  he  became  the  town- 
talk.  The  populace  believed  that  he  had  come  to  declare 
himself  a  Mussulman,  and  would  then  bring  five  thousand 
men  to  the  city  and  take  possession  of  it.  Dissatisfied 
with  their  own  government,  many  Mohammedans  began 
to  desire  English  rule,  such  as  was  making  India  peaceful 
and  prosperous,  and  as  was  supposed  to  enrich  all  who 
enjoyed  it.  Jewish  perverts  to  Islam  crowded  to  the  garden, 
where  at  all  times,  even  on  Sunday,  the  saintly. visitor  was 
accessible.  Armenians  spoke  to  him  with  a  freedom  they 
dared  not  show  in  conversation  with  others.  From  Bashdad 
to    Busrah,    and    from    Bushire    to    Ispahan    and    even 


394  HENRY,  MARTYN 

Etchmiatzin,  visitors  crowded  to  talk  with  the  wonderful 
scholar  and  holy  man.  Thus  on  July  6  he  was  presented 
by  Sir  Gore  Ouseley  to  the  Governor,  Prince  Abbas  Mirza. 

Early  this  morning  I  went  with  the  ambassador  and 
his  suite  to  court,  wearing,  agreeably  to  custom,  a  pair  of 
red  cloth  stockings,  with  green  high-heeled  shoes.  When 
we  entered  the  great  court  of  the  palace  a  hundred 
fountains  began  to  play.  The  prince  appeared  at  the 
opposite  side,  in  his  talar,  or  hall  of  audience,  seated  on 
the  ground.  Here  our  first  bow  was  made.  When  we 
came  in  sight  of  him  we  bowed  a  second  time,  and  entered 
the  room.  He  did  not  rise,  nor  take  notice  of  any  but  the 
ambassador,  with  whom  he  conversed  at  the  distance  of 
the  breadth  of  the  room.  Two  of  his  ministers  stood  in 
front  of  the  hall  outside  ;  the  ambassador's  mihmander, 
and  the  master  of  the  ceremonies,  within  at  the  door. 
We  sat  down  in  order,  in  a  line  with  the  ambassador, 
with  our  hats  on.  I  never  saw  a  more  sweet  and  engaging 
countenance  than  the  prince's  ;  there  was  such  an  appear- 
ance of  good  nature  and  humility  in  all  his  demeanour, 
that  I  could  scarcely  bring  myself  to  believe  that  he  would 
be  guilty  of  anything  cruel  or  tyrannical. 

Mahommed  Shareef  Khan,  one  of  the  most  renowned 
of  the  Persian  generals,  having  served  the  present  royal 
family  for  four  generations,  called  to  see  me,  out  of  respect 
to  General  Malcolm.  An  Armenian  priest  also,  on  his 
way  from  Busrah  to  Ispahan  ;  he  was  as  ignorant  as  the 
rest  of  his  brethren.  To  my  surprise  I  found  that  he  was 
of  the  Latin  Church,  and  read  the  service  in  Latin,  though 
he  confessed  he  knew  nothing  about  the  language. 

The  first  of  Henry  Martyn's  public  controversies  with 
the  Shi'ah  doctors,  as  distinguished  from  the  almost  daily 
discussions  already  described  in  his  Journal,  took  place 
in  the  house  of  the  Moojtahid  of  Shiraz  on  July  15,  1811^ 


IN  PERSIA  395 

The  doctrine  of  Jesus,  represented  by  such  a  follower,  was 
beginning  so  to  tell  on  Shi'ahs  and  Soofis,  ever  eager  for 
something  new,  that  the  interference  of  the  first  authority 
of  Islam  in  all  Persia  became  necessary.  Higher  than  all 
other  Mohammedan  divines,  especially  among  the  Shi'ahs, 
are  the  three  or  four  Moojtahids,^  They  must  be  saintly, 
learned,  and  aloof  from  worldly  ambition.  In  Persia  each 
acts  as  an  informal  and  final  court  of  appeal ;  he  alone  dares 
to  temper  the  tyranny  of  the  Shah  by  his  influence  ;  his 
house  is  a  sanctuary  for  the  oppressed  ;  the  city  of  his 
habitation  is  often  saved  from  violence  by  his  presence. 
This  was  the  position  and  the  pretension  of  the  man  who, 
having  first  ascertained  that  the  English  man  of  God  did 
not  want  demonstration,  but  admitted  that  the  prophets 
had  been  sent,  invited  him  to  dinner,  preliminary  to  a  con- 
flict.    Martyn  has  left  this  description  of  the  scene : 

About  eight  o'clock  at  night  we  went,  and  after  passing 
along  many  an  avenue  we  entered  a  fine  court,  where  was 
a  pond,  and,  by  the  side  of  it,  a  platform  eight  feet  high, 
covered  with  carpets.  Here  sat  the  Mooj  tabid  in  state, 
with  a  considerable  number  of  his  learned  friends — among 
the  rest,  I  perceived  the  Jew.  One  was  at  his  prayers.  I 
was  never  more  disgusted  at  the  mockery  of  this  kind  of 
prayer.  He  went  through  the  evolutions  with  great  ex- 
actness, and  pretended  to  be  unmoved  at  the  noise  and 
chit-chat  of  persons  on  each  side  of  him.  The  Professor 
seated  Seyd  Ali  on  his  right  hand,  and  me  on  his  left. 
Everything  around  bore  the  appearance  of  opulence  and 
ease,  and  the  swarthy  obesity  of  the  little  personage 
himself  led  me  to  suppose  that  he  had  paid  more  attention 
to  cooking  than  to  science.  But  when  he  began  to  speak, 
I  saw  reason  enough  for  his  being  so  much  admired.     The 

*  Literally,  '  one  who  strives '  to  attain  the  highest  degree  of  Mussulman 
learning. 


396  HENRY  MARTYN 

substance  of  his  speech  was  flimsy  enough  ;  but  he  spoke 
with  uncommon  fluency  and  clearness,  and  with  a  manner 
confident  and  imposing.  He  talked  for  a  full  hour  about 
the  soul ;  its  being  distinct  from  the  body  ;  superior  to  the 
brutes,  etc.  ;  about  God  ;  His  unity,  invisibility,  and  other 
obvious  and  acknowledged  truths.  After  this  followed 
another  discourse.  At  length,  after  clearing  his  way  for 
miles  around,  he  said  that  philosophers  had  proved  that  a 
single  being  could  produce  but  a  single  being  ;  that  the 
first  thing  God  had  created  was  Wisdom,  a  being  perfectly 
one  with  Him  ;  after  that,  the  souls  of  men,  and  the  seventh 
heaven  ;  and  so  on  till  He  produced  matter,  which  is 
merely  passive.  He  illustrated  the  theory  by  comparing 
all  being  to  a  circle  ;  at  one  extremity  of  the  diameter  is 
God,  at  the  opposite  extremity  of  the  diameter  is  matter, 
than  which  nothing  in  the  world  is  meaner.  Rising  from 
thence,  the  highest  stage  of  matter  is  connected  with  the 
lowest  stage  of  vegetation  ;  the  highest  of  the  vegetable 
world  with  the  lowest  of  the  animal  ;  and  so  on,  till  we 
approach  the  point  from  which  all  proceeded.  'But,' 
said  he,  '  you  will  observe  that,  next  to  God,  something 
ought  to  be  which  is  equal  to  God  ;  for  since  it  is  equally 
near,  it  possesses  equal  dignity.  What  this  is  philosophers 
are  not  agreed  upon.  You,'  said  he,  '  say  it  is  Christ ;  but 
we,  that  it  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Prophets.  All  this  is  what 
the  philosophers  have  proved,  independently  of  any  par- 
ticular religion.'  I  rather  imagined  that  it  was  the  inven- 
tion of  some  ancient  Oriental  Christian,  to  make  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity  appear  more  reasonable.  There  were  a 
hundred  things  in  the  Professor's  harangue  that  might  have 
been  excepted  against,  as  mere  dreams,  supported  by  no 
evidence  but  I  had  no  inclination  to  call  in  question 
dogmas  on  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  which  nothing  in 
religion  depended. 

He  was  speaking  at  one  time  about  the  angels,  and 
asserted    that   man   was    superior   to  them,   and   that  no 


JN  PERSIA  y^-j 

being  greater  than  man  could  be  created.  Here  the  Jew 
reminded  me  of  a  passage  in  the  Bible,  quoting  something 
in  Hebrew.  I  was  a  little  surprised,  and  was  just  about  to 
ask  where  he  found  anything  in  the  Bible  to  support  such 
a  doctrine,  when  the  Moojtahid,  not  thinking  it  worth 
while  to  pay  any  attention  to  what  the  Jew  said,  continued 
his  discourse.  At  last  the  Jew  grew  impatient,  and  finding 
an  opportunity  of  speaking,  said  to  me,  '  Why  do  not  you 
speak  .?  Why  do  not  you  bring  forward  your  objections  ? ' 
The  Professor,  at  the  close  of  one  of  his  long  speeches,  said 
to  me,  '  You  see  how  much  there  is  to  be  said  on  these 
subjects  ;  several  visits  will  be  necessary ;  we  must  come 
to  the  point  by  degrees.'  Perceiving  how  much  he  dreaded 
a  close  discussion,  I  did  not  mean  to  hurry  him,  but  let 
him  talk  on,  not  expecting  we  should  have  anything  about 
Muhammadanism  the  first  night.  But,  at  the  instigation 
of  the  Jew,  I  said,  'Sir,  you  see  that  Abdoolghunee  is 
anxious  that  you  should  say  something  about  Islam.'  He 
was  much  displeased  at  being  brought  so  prematurely  to 
the  weak  point,  but  could  not  decline  accepting  so  direct  a 
challenge.  '  Well,'  said  he  to  me,  '  I  must  ask  you  a  few 
questions.  Why  do  you  believe  in  Christ  ? '  I  replied, 
'  That  is  not  the  question.  I  am  at  liberty  to  say  that  I 
do  not  believe  in  any  religion  ;  that  I  am  a  plain  man 
seeking  the  way  of  salvation  ;  that  it  was,  moreover,  quite 
unnecessary  to  prove  the  truth  of  Christ  to  Muhammadans, 
because  they  allowed  it'  '  No  such  thing,'  said  he  ;  '  the 
Jesus  we  acknowledge  is  He  who  was  a  prophet,  a  mere 
servant  of  God,  and  one  who  bore  testimony  to  Muhammad  ; 
not  your  Jesus,  whom  you  call  God,'  said  he,  with  a  con- 
temptuous smile.  He  then  enumerated  the  persons  who 
had  spoken  of  the  miracles  of  Muhammad,  and  told  a  long 
story  about  Salmon  the  Persian,  who  had  come  to 
Muhammad.  I  asked  whether  this  Salmon  had  written 
an  account  of  the  miracles  he  had  seen.  He  confessed 
that  he  had  not.     '  Nor,'  said  I,  '  have  you  a  single  witness 


398  HENRY  MARTYN 

to  the  miracles  of  Muhammad.'  He  then  tried  to  show 
that,  though  they  had  not,  there  was  still  sufficient  evidence. 
'  For,'  said  he,  '  suppose  five  hundred  persons  should  say- 
that  they  heard  some  particular  thing  of  a  hundred  persons 
who  were  with  Muhammad,  would  that  be  sufficient  evi- 
dence or  not .'' '  '  Whether  it  be  or  not,'  said  I,  '  you  have 
no  such  evidence  as  that,  nor  anything  like  it ;  but  if  you 
have,  as  they  are  something  like  witnesses,  we  must  proceed 
to  examine  them  and  see  whether  their  testimony  deserves 
credit' 

After  this  the  Koran  was  mentioned  ;  but  as  the  com- 
pany began  to  thin,  and  the  great  man  had  not  a  sufficient 
audience  before  whom  to  display  his  eloquence,  the  dispute 
was  not  so  brisk.  He  did  not  indeed  seem  to  think  it 
worth  while  to  notice  my  objections.  He  mentioned  a 
well-known  sentence  in  the  Koran  as  being  inimitable.  I 
produced  another  sentence,  and  begged  to  know  why  it 
was  inferior  to  the  Koranic  one.  He  declined  saying  why, 
under  pretence  that  it  required  such  a  knowledge  of  rhetoric 
in  order  to  understand  his  proofs  as  I  probably  did  not 
possess.  A  scholar  afterwards  came  to  Seyd  Ali,  with 
twenty  reasons  for  preferring  Muhammad's  sentence  to 
mine. 

It  was  midnight  when  dinner,  or  rather  supper,  was 
brought  in  :  it  was  a  sullen  meal.  The  great  man  was 
silent,  and  I  was  sleepy.  Seyd  Ali,  however,  had  not  had 
enough.  While  burying  his  hand  in  the  dish  of  the  Pro- 
fessor, he  softly  mentioned  some  more  of  my  objections. 
He  was  so  vexed  that  he  scarcely  answered  anything  ;  but 
after  supper  told  a  very  long  story,  all  reflecting  upon  me. 
He  described  a  grand  assembly  of  Christians,  Jews,  Guebres, 
and  Sabeans  (for  they  generally  do  us  the  honour  of 
stringing  us  with  the  other  three),  before  Imam  Ruza.  The 
Christians  were  of  course  defeated  and  silenced.  It  was  a 
remark  of  the  Imam's,  in  which  the  Professor  acquiesced, 
that  '  it  is  quite  useless  for  Muhammadans  and  Christians 


IN  PERSIA  399 

to  argue  together,  as  they  had  different  languages  and 
different  histories.'  To  the  last  I  said  nothing  ;  but  to  the 
former  replied  by  relating  the  fable  of  the  lion  and  man, 
which  amused  Seyd  Ali  so  much  that  he  laughed  out 
before  the  great  man,  and  all  the  way  home. 

The  intervention  of  the  Moojtahid  only  added  to  the  sen- 
sation excited  among  all  classes  by  the  saintly  Feringhi. 
The  Shi'ah  doctors  had  their  second  corrective  almost 
ready.  They  resolved  to  check  the  spirit  of  inquiry  by 
issuing,  eleven  days  after  the  Moojtahid's  attempt,  a  defence 
of  Muhammadanism  by  Mirza  Ibrahim,  described  as  '  the 
preceptor  of  all  the  moollas.' '  The  event  has  an  interest  of 
its  own,  apart  from  Henry  Martyn,  in  the  light  of  a  famous 
controversy  which  preceded  it,  and  of  spiritually  fruitful 
discussions  which  followed  it,  all  in  India.  Before  Henry 
Martyn  in  this  field  of  Christian  apologetic  was  the  Por- 
tuguese Jesuit,  Hieronymo  Xavier,  and  after  him  were  the 
Scots  missionary,  John  Wilson  of  Bombay,  and  the  German 
agent  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  C.  G.  Pfander. 

Among  the  representatives  of  all  religions  whom  the 
tolerant  Akbar  invited  to  his  court  at  Agra,  that  out  of 
their  teaching  he  might  form  an  eclectic  cult  of  his  own, 
was  Jerome,  the  nephew  of  the  famous  Francis  Xavier,  then 
at  Goa.  For  Akbar  P.  Hieronymo  Xavier  wrote  in  Persian 
two  histories,  Christi  and  6".  Petri.  To  his  successor,  the 
Emperor  Jahangir,  in  whose  suite  he  was  the  first  European 
who  visited  Kashmir,  H.  Xavier  in  the  year  1609  dedicated 
his  third  Persian  book,  entitled  A  Mirror  showing  the  Truth, 
in  which  the  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion  are  discussed, 
the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  explained,  and  the  vanity  of 

'  Persian  form  of  maulvi,  the  Arabic  for  a  learned  man.     The  word  is 
said  to  mean  *  filled '  with  knowledge,  from  rnala,  to  fill. 


400  HENRY  MARTYN 

(all)  other  religions  is  to  be  seen.  He  has  been  pronounced 
by  a  good  authority  '  a  man  of  considerable  ability  and 
energy,  but  one  who  trusted  more  to  his  own  ingenuity 
than  to  the  plain  and  unsophisticated  declarations  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  Ludovicus  de  Dieu,  the  Dutch  scholar, 
who  translated  his  two  first  works  into  Latin,  most  fairly 
describes  each  on  the  title-page  as  '  multis  modis  con- 
taminata.'  Twelve  years  after,  to  the  third  or  controversial 
treatise  of  P.  H.  Xavier  an  answer  was  published  by  '  the 
most  mean  of  those  who  stand  in  need  of  the  mercy  of  a 
bounteous  God,  Ahmed  ibn  Zai'n  Elabidi'n  Elalooi,'  under 
a  title  thus  translated.  The  Divine  Rays  in  refutation  of 
Christian  Error.  To  this  a  rejoinder  in  Latin  appeared  at 
Rome  in  1631,  from  the  pen  of  Philip  Guadagnoli,  Arabic 
Professor  in  the  Propaganda  College  there.  He  calls  it 
Apologia  pro  Christiana  Religione.  If  we  except  Raimund 
Lull's  two  spiritual  treatises  and  Ars  Major ^  and  Pocock's 
Arabic  translation  of  the  De  Veritate  Religionis  Christiance, 
which  Grotius  wrote  as  a  text-book  for  the  Dutch 
missionaries  in  the  East  Indies,  Henry  Martyn's  was  the 
first  attempt  of  Reformed  Christendom  to  carry  the 
pure  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Asiatic  races  whom  the 
corruptions  of  Judaism  and  the  Eastern  Churches  had 
blinded  into  accepting  the  Koran  and  all  its  consequences. 
Mirza  Ibrahim's  Arabic  challenge  to  the  Christian 
scholar  is  pronounced  by  so  competent  and  fair  an 
authority  as  Sir  William  Muir^  as  made  by  a  man  of  talent 

'  The  Rev.  S.  Lee,  D.D. ,  Professor  of  Arabic  in  the  University  of 
Cambridge  for  many  years,  in  his  Co)itroversial  Tracts  on  Christianity  and 
Mohammedanism  by  the  late  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  B.D.,  and  some  of  the 
most  eminent  writers  of  Persia  (1824). 

-  The  Calcutta  Review,  No.  VIII.  vol.  iv.  Art.  VI.  '  The  Mahommedan 
Controversy,'  pp.  418-76,  Calcutta,  1845. 


IN  PERSIA  401 

and  acuteness,  and  remarkable  for  its  freedom  from  violent 
and  virulent  remarks. 

This  argument  chiefly  concerns  the  subject  of  miracles, 
which  he  accommodates  to  the  Koran.  He  defines  a 
miracle  as  an  effect  exceeding  common  experience,  accom- 
panied by  a  prophetic  claim  and  a  challenge  to  produce 
the  like ;  and  he  holds  that  it  may  be  produced  by  par- 
ticular experience — that  is,  it  may  be  confined  to  any  single 
art,  but  must  be  attested  by  the  evidence  and  confession  of 
those  best  skilled  in  that  art.  Thus  he  assumes  the  miracles 
of  Moses  and  Jesus  to  belong  respectively  to  the  arts  of 
magic  and  physic,  which  had  severally  reached  perfection 
in  the  times  of  these  prophets  ;  the  evidence  of  the 
magicians  is  hence  deemed  sufficient  for  the  miracles  of 
Moses,  and  that  of  the  physicians  for  those  of  Jesus  ,  but 
had  these  miracles  occurred  in  any  other  age  than  that  in 
which  those  arts  flourished,  their  proof  would  have  been 
imperfect,  and  the  miracles  consequently  not  binding. 
This  extraordinary  doctrine  — which  Henry  Martyn  shows 
to  be  founded  upon  an  inadequate  knowledge  of  history — he 
proceeds  to  apply  to  the  Koran,  and  proves  entirely  to  his 
own  satisfaction  that  it  fulfils  all  the  required  conditions. 
This  miracle  belonged  to  the  science  of  eloquence,  and  in 
that  science  the  Arabs  were  perfect  adepts.  The  Koran 
was  accompanied  by  a  challenge,  and  when  they  accordingly 
professed  their  inability  to  produce  an  equal,  their  evidence, 
like  that  of  the  magicians'  and  physicians',  became  univer- 
sally binding.  He  likewise  dilates  upon  the  superior  and 
perpetual  nature  of  the  Koran  as  an  intellectual  and  a 
lasting  miracle,  which  will  remain  unaltered  when  all  others 
are  forgotten.  He  touches  slightly  on  Mohammed's  other 
miracles,  and  asserts  the  insufficiency  of  proof  (except 
through  the  Koran)  for  those  of  all  former  prophets. 

To  this,  which  was  accompanied  by  a  treatise  on  the 

D  D 


402  HENRY  MARTYN 

miracles  of  Mohammed  by  Aga  Akbar,  Henry  Martyn 
wrote  a  reply  in  three  parts.  In  what  spirit  he  conducted 
the  controversy,  and  what  influence  through  him  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  had  on  some  of  the  Shi'ahs  and  Soofis,  this 
extract  from  his  Journal  unconsciously  testifies  : 

1811,  September  12  to  15.  (Sunday.) — Finished  what  I 
had  to  say  on  the  evidences  of  religion,  and  translated  it 
into  Persian.  Aga  Akbar  sent  me  his  treatise  by  one  of 
his  disciples.  Aga  Baba,  his  brother,  but  a  very  different 
person  from  him,  called  ;  he  spoke  without  disguise  of  his 
dislike  to  Mohammedanism  and  good-will  to  Christianity. 
For  his  attachment  to  Mirza  Abel,  Kasim,  his  brother, 
sets  him  down  as  an  infidel.  Mirza  Ibrahim  is  still  in 
doubt,  and  thinks  that  he  may  be  a  Christian,  and  be 
saved  without  renouncing  Mohammedanism ;  asks  his 
nephew  what  is  requisite  to  observe  ;  he  said.  Baptism 
and  the  Lord's  Supper.  '  Well,'  said  he, '  what  harm  is  there 
in  doing  that.-' '  At  another  time  Seyd  Ali  asked  me,  after 
a  dispute,  whether  I  would  baptize  any  one  who  did  not 
believe  in  the  Divinity  of  Christ?  I  said,  No.  While 
translating  Acts  ii.  and  iii.,  especially  where  it  is  said  all 
who  believed  had  one  heart  and  one  mind,  and  had  all 
things  in  common,  he  was  much  affected,  and  contrasted 
the  beginning  of  Christianity  with  that  of  Mohammedanism, 
where  they  began  their  career  with  murdering  men  and 
robbing  caravans  ;  and  oh,  said  he,  '  that  I  were  sure  the 
Holy  Spirit  would  be  given  to  me !  I  would  become  a 
Christian  at  once.'  Alas  !  both  his  faith  and  mine  are  very 
weak.  Even  if  he  were  to  desire  baptism  I  should  tremble 
to  give  it.  He  spake  in  a  very  pleasing  way  on  other 
parts  of  the  Gospel,  and  seems  to  have  been  particularly 
taken  with  the  idea  of  a  new  birth.  The  state  of  a 
new-born  child  gives  him  the  most  striking  view  of  that 
simplicity  which  he  considers  as  the  height  of  wisdom. 
Simplicity  is  that  to  which  he  aspires,  he  says,  above  all 


TN  PERSIA  403 

things.  He  was  once  proud  of  his  knowledge,  and  vain 
of  his  superiority  to  others,  but  he  found  that  fancied 
knowledge  set  him  at  a  greater  distance  from  happiness  than 
anything  else. 

Martyn's  first  reply  in  Persian  to  Mirza  Ibrahim  thus 
begins:  'The  Christian  Minister  thanks  the  celebrated  Pro- 
fessor of  Islamism  for  the  favour  he  has  done  him  in  writing 
an  answer  to  his  inquiries,  but  confesses  that,  after  reading  it, 
a  few  doubts  occurred  to  him,  on  account  of  which,  and  not 
for  the  mere  purpose  of  dispute,  he  has  taken  upon  himself 
to  write  the  following  pages.  The  reply  is  signed,  '  The 
Christian  Minister,  Henry  Martyn.'  One  Mirza  Mahommcd 
Ruza  published  in  181 3,  the  year  after  Martyn's  death,  a 
very  prolix  rejoinder.  It  is  unworthy  of  lengthened  notice, 
according  to  Sir  William  Muir,  who  thus  summarises  and 
comments  on  the  defence  made  by  the  Christian  scholar  : 

Heniy  Martyn's  first  tract  refers  chiefly  to  the  subject 
of  miracles  :  he  asserts  that,  to  be  conclusive,  a  miracle 
must  exceed  universal  experience  ;  that  the  testimony  and 
opinion  of  the  Arabs  is  therefore  insufficient,  besides  being 
that  of  a  party  concerned  ;  that,  were  the  Koran  allowed 
to  be  inimitable,  that  would  not  prove  it  to  be  a  miracle  ; 
and  that  its  being  an  intellectual  miracle  is  not  a  virtue, 
but,  by  making  it  generally  inappreciable,  a  defect.  He 
concludes  by  denying  the  proof  of  Mohammed's  other 
miracles,  in  which  two  requisites  are  wanting  :  viz.,  their 
being  recorded  at  or  near  the  time  of  their  occurrence,  and 
the  narrators  being  under  no  constraint. 

The  second  tract  directly  attacks  Mohammed's  mission, 
by  alleging  the  debasing  nature  of  some  of  the  contents 
and  precepts  of  the  Koran,  holds  good  works  and  repent- 
ance to  be  insufficient  for  salvation,  and  opens  the  subject 
of  the  true  atonement  as  prefigured  in  types,  fulfilled  in 


404  HENRY  MARTYN 

Christ,  and   made    public    by  the  spread    of  Christianity 
which  is  mentioned  as  itself  a  convincing  miracle. 

The  last  tract  commences  with  an  attack  on  the 
absurdities  of  Soofi-ism,  and  proceeds  to  show  that  the 
love  of  God  and  union  with  Him  cannot  be  obtained  by 
contemplation,  but  only  by  a  practical  manifestation  of 
His  goodness  towards  us,  accompanied  by  an  assurance 
of  our  safety  ;  and  that  this  is  fulfilled  in  Christianity  not 
by  the  amalgamation  of  the  soul  with  the  Deity,  but  by 
the  pouring  out  of  God's  Spirit  upon  His  children,  and  by 
the  obedience  and  atonement  of  Christ.  Vicarious  suffer- 
ing is  then  defended  by  analogy,  the  truth  of  the  Mosaic 
and  Christian  miracles  is  upheld,  and  the  whole  argument 
closes  with  proving  the  authenticity  of  the  Christian  annals 
by  their  coincidence  with  profane  history. 

Sir  William  Muir  agrees  in  the  opinion  of  Professor 
Lee  that,  situated  as  Mr.  Martyn  was  in  Persia,  with  a 
short  tract  on  the  Mohammedan  religion  before  him,  and  his 
health  precarious,  the  course  which  he  took  was  perhaps 
the  only  one  practicable.  Sir  William  adds  :  '  In  pursuing 
his  argument  Henry  Martyn  has  displayed  great  wisdom 
and  skill,  and  his  reasoning  appears  to  be  in  general 
perfectly  conclusive ;  in  a  few  instances,  however,  he  has 
perhaps  not  taken  up  the  most  advantageous  ground.* 

The  appeal  of  the  Christian  defender  of  the  faith,  at 
the  close  of  his  second  part,  on  the  incarnation  and  atone- 
ment, is  marked  by  a  loving  courtesy  :  ^ 

It  is  now  the  prayer  of  the  humble  Henry  Martyn  that 
these  things  may  be  considered  with  impartiality.  If  they 
become  the  means  of  procuring  conviction,  let  not  the  fear 
of  death  or  punishment  operate  for  a  moment  to  the 
contrary,  but  let  this  conviction  have  its  legitimate  effect ; 

'  As  translated  from  the  I'ersian  by  Professor  Lee. 


IN  PERSIA  405 

for  the  world,  we  know,  passes  away  like  the  wind  of  the 
desert.  But  if  what  has  here  been  stated  do  not  produce 
conviction,  my  prayer  is  that  God  Himself  may  instruct 
you  ;  that  as  hitherto  ye  have  held  what  you  believed  to 
be  the  truth,  ye  may  now  become  teachers  of  that  which  is 
really  so  ;  and  that  He  may  grant  you  to  be  the  means  of 
bringing  others  to  the  knowledge  of  the  same,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  who  has  loved  us  and  washed  us  in  His  own 
blood,  to  whom  be  the  power  and  the  glory  for  ever  and 
ever.     Amen. 

i^\i,July  26. — Mirza  Ibrahim  declared  publicly  before 
all  his  disciples,  *  that  if  I  really  confuted  his  arguments, 
he  should  be  bound  in  conscience  to  become  a  Christian.' 
Alas  !  from  such  a  declaration  I  have  little  hope.  His 
general  good  character  for  uprightness  and  unbounded 
kindness  to  the  poor  would  be  a  much  stronger  reason 
with  me  for  believing  that  he  may  perhaps  be  a  Cornelius. 

August  2. — Much  against  his  will  Mirza  Ibrahim  was 
obliged  to  go  to  his  brother,  who  is  governor  of  some  town 
thirty-eight  parasangs  off.  To  the  last  moment  he  con- 
tinued talking  with  his  nephew  on  the  subject  of  his  book, 
and  begged  that,  in  case  of  his  detention,  my  reply  might 
be  sent  to  him. 

August  7. — My  friends  talked,  as  usual,  much  about 
what  they  call  Divine  love  ;  but  I  do  not  very  well  com- 
prehend what  they  mean.  They  love  not  the  holy  God, 
but  the  god  of  their  own  imagination — a  god  who  will  let 
them  do  as  they  please.  I  often  remind  Seyd  Ali  of  one 
defect  in  his  system,  which  is,  that  there  is  no  one  to  stand 
between  his  sins  and  God.  Knowing  what  I  allude  to,  he 
says,  '  Well,  if  the  death  of  Christ  intervene,  no  harm ; 
Soofi-ism  can  admit  this  too.' 

August  14. — Returned  to  the  city  in  a  fever,  which 
continued  all  the  next  day  until  the  evening ! 

August  15. — Jani  Khan,  in  rank  corresponding  to  one 
of  our  Scottish  dukes,  as  he  is  the  head  of  all  the  military 


4o6  HENRY   MARTYN 

tribes  of  Persia,  and  chief  of  his  own  tribe,  which  consists 
of  twenty  thousand  families,  called  on  Jaffir  All  Khan  with 
a  message  from  the  king.  He  asked  me  a  great  number 
of  questions,  and  disputed  a  little,  '  I  suppose,'  said  he, 
'you  consider  us  all  as  infidels!'  *  Yes,' replied  I,  '  the 
whole  of  you.'  He  was  mightily  pleased  with  my  frank- 
ness, and  mentioned  it  when  he  was  going  away. 

August  22. — The  copyist  having  shown  my  answer  to 
Moodurris,  called  Moolla  Akbar,  he  wrote  on  the  margin 
with  great  acrimony  but  little  sense.  Seyd  AH  having 
shown  his  remarks  in  some  companies,  they  begged  him 
not  to  show  them  to  me,  for  fear  I  should  disgrace  them  all 
through  the  folly  of  one  man. 

August  23. — Ruza  Kooli  Mirza,  the  great-grandson  of 
Nadir  Shah  and  Aga  Mahommed  Hasan,  called.  The 
prince's  nephew,  hearing  of  my  attack  on  Muhammad, 
observed  that  the  proper  answer  to  it  was  the  sword  ;  but 
the  prince  confessed  that  he  began  to  have  his  doubts.  On 
his  inquiring  what  were  the  laws  of  Christianity — meaning 
the  number  of  times  of  prayer,  the  different  washings,  &c. 
— I  said  that  we  had  two  commandments  :  '  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  all  thy  soul, 
and  all  thy  strength  ;  and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself  He 
asked,  '  What  could  be  better  ? '  and  continued  praising 
them. 

The  Moolla  Aga  Mahommed  Hasan,  himself  a 
Moodurris,  and  a  very  sensible,  candid  man,  asked  a  good 
deal  about  the  European  philosophy,  particularly  what  we 
did  in  metaphysics  ;  for  instance,  '  how,  or  in  what  sense, 
the  body  of  Christ  ascended  into  heaven  ?  '  He  talked  of 
free-will  and  fate,  and  reasoned  high,  and  at  last  reconciled 
them  according  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Soofis  by  saying, 
that  '  as  all  being  is  an  emanation  of  the  Deity,  the  will  of 
every  being  is  only  the  will  of  the  Deity,  so  that  therefore, 
in  fact,  free-will  and  fate  are  the  same.'  He  has  nothing 
to  find  fault  with  in  Christianity,  except  the  Divinity  of 


IN  PERSIA  407 

Christ.  It  IS  1  his  doctrine  that  exposes  me  to  the  contempt 
of  the  learned  Mahometans,  in  whom  it  is  difficult  to  say 
whether  pride  or  ignorance  predominates.  Their  sneers 
are  more  difficult  to  bear  than  the  brick-bats  which  the 
boys  sometimes  throw  at  me  ;  however,  both  are  an  honour 
of  which  I  am  not  worthy.  How  many  times  in  the  day 
have  I  occasion  to  repeat  the  words  : 

If  on  my  face,  for  Thy  dear  name,  ^ 

Shame  and  reproaches  be. 
All  hail,  reproach,  and  welcome,  shame, 

If  Thou  remember  me. 

The  more  they  wish  me  to  give  up  this  one  point — the 
Divinity  of  Christ — the  more  I  seem  to  feel  the  necessity 
of  it,  and  rejoice  and  glory  in  it.  Indeed,  I  trust  I  would 
sooner  give  up  my  life  than  surrender  it. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  pay  a  long-promised  visit  to 
Mirza  Abulkasim,  one  of  the  most  renowned  Soofis  in  all 
Persia.  We  found  several  persons  sitting  in  an  open  court, 
in  which  a  few  greens  and  flowers  were  placed  ;  the  master 
was  in  a  corner.  He  was  a  very  fresh-looking  old  man 
with  a  silver  beard.  I  was  surprised  to  observe  the  downcast 
and  sorrowful  looks  of  the  assembly,  and  still  more  at  the 
silence  which  reigned.  After  sitting  some  time  in  ex- 
pectation, and  being  not  at  all  disposed  to  waste  my  time 
in  sitting  there,  I  said  softly  to  Seyd  Ali,  '  What  is  this  ? ' 
He  said,  '  It  is  the  custom  here  to  think  much  and  speak 
little.'  '  May  I  ask  the  master  a  question  ? '  said  I.  With 
some  hesitation  he  consented  to  let  me  ;  so  I  begged  Jaffir 
Ali  to  inquire,  '  Which  is  the  way  to  be  happy  ? ' 

This  he  did  in  his  own  manner ;  he  began  by  observing 
that  '  there  was  a  great  deal  of  misery  in  the  world,  and 
that  the  learned  shared  as  largely  in  it  as  the  rest ;  that  I 
wished  therefore  to  know  what  we  must  do  to  escape  it.' 
The  master  replied  that  '  for  his  part  he  did  not  know,  but 
that  it  was  usually  said  that  the  subjugation  of  the  passions 


4o8  HENRY  MARTYN 

was  the  shortest  way  to  happiness.'  After  a  considerable 
pause  I  ventured  to  ask,  '  What  were  his  feeUngs  at  the 
prospect  of  death — hope,  or  fear,  or  neither  ?  '  '  Neither,' 
said  he,  and  that  '  pleasure  and  pain  were  both  alike.'  I 
then  perceived  that  the  Stoics  were  Greek  Soofis.  I  asked 
*  whether  he  had  attained  this  apathy.'  He  said,  '  No.' 
'Why  do  you  think  it  attainable.'''  He  could  not  tell. 
'  Why  do  you  think  that  pleasure  and  pain  are  not  the 
same  .-' '  said  Seyd  Ali,  taking  his  master's  part.  '  Because,' 
said  I,  '  I  have  the  evidence  of  my  senses  for  it.  And  you 
also  act  as  if  there  was  a  difference.  Why  do  you  eat,  but 
that  you  fear  pain  .'"'     These  silent  sages  sat  unmoved. 

One  of  the  disciples  is  the  son  of  the  Mooj tabid  who, 
greatly  to  the  vexation  of  his  father,  is  entirely  devoted  to 
the  Soofi  doctor.  He  attended  his  kalean  (pipe)  with  the 
utmost  humility.  On  observing  the  pensive  countenance 
of  the  young  man,  and  knowing  something  of  his  history 
from  Seyd  Ali,  how  he  had  left  all  to  find  happiness  in  the 
contemplation  of  God,  I  longed  to  make  known  the  glad 
tidings  of  a  Saviour,  and  thanked  God  on  coming  away, 
that  I  was  not  left  ignorant  of  the  Gospel.  I  could  not 
help  being  a  little  pleasant  on  Seyd  Ali  afterwards,  for  his 
admiration  of  this  silent  instructor.  '  There  you  sit,'  said 
I,  '  immersed  in  thought,  full  of  anxiety  and  care,  and  will 
not  take  the  trouble  to  ask  whether  God  has  said  anything 
or  not.  No  :  that  is  too  easy  and  direct  a  way  of  coming 
at  the  truth.  I  compare  you  to  spiders,  who  weave  their 
house  of  defence  out  of  their  own  bowels  ;  or  to  a  set  of 
people  who  are  groping  for  a  light  in  broad  day.' 

August  26. — Waited  this  morning  on  Mahommed 
Nubbee  Khan,  late  ambassador  at  Calcutta,  and  now  prime 
minister  of  Fars.  There  were  a  vast  number  of  clients  in 
his  court,  with  whom  he  transacted  business  while  chatting 
with  us.  Amongst  the  others  who  came  and  sat  with  us, 
was  my  tetric  adversary — Aga  Akbar,  who  came  for  the 
very  purpose  of  presenting  the  minister  with  a  little  book 


IN  PERSIA  409 

he  had  written  in  answer  to  mine.  After  presenting  it  in 
due  form,  he  sat  down,  and  told  me  he  meant  to  bring  me 
a  copy  that  day — a  promise  which  he  did  not  perform, 
through  Seyd  Ah's  persuasion,  who  told  him  it  was  a  per- 
formance that  would  do  him  no  credit. 

August  29. — Mirza  Ibrahim  begins  to  inquire  about 
the  Gospel.  The  objections  he  made  were  such  as  these  : 
How  sins  could  be  atoned  for  before  they  were  com- 
mitted? Whether,  as  Jesus  died  for  all  men,  all  would 
necessarily  be  saved  .-'  If  faith  be  the  condition  of  salva- 
tion, would  wicked  Christians  be  saved,  provided  they 
believe  ?  I  was  pleased  to  see  from  the  nature  of  the 
objections  that  he  was  considering  the  subject.  To  this 
last  objection,  I  remarked  that  to  those  who  felt  themselves 
sinners,  and  came  to  God  for  mercy,  through  Christ,  God 
would  give  His  Holy  Spirit,  which  would  progressively 
sanctify  them  in  heart  and  life. 

August  30. — Mirza  Ibrahim  praises  my  answer,  espe- 
cially the  first  part. 

It  was  on  the  sacred  rock  of  Behistun,  on  the  western 
frontiers  of  Media,  on  the  high  road  eastward  from 
Babylonia,  that  Darius  Hystaspes,  founder  of  the  civil 
policy  of  ancient  Persia,  carved  the  wonderful  cuneiform 
inscriptions  which  made  that  rock  the  charter  of  Achae- 
menian  royalty.  At  Persepolis  only  the  platform,  the  pillared 
colonnade,  and  the  palace  seem  to  have  been  built  by  him  ; 
the  other  buildings,  with  commemorative  legends,  were 
erected  by  Xerxes  and  Artaxerxes  Ochus.  Lassen,  Wes- 
tergaard,  and  our  own  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson,'  did  not 
decipher  these  inscriptions  for  some  twenty  years  after 
Martyn's  visit.     How  deaf  had  Ormuzd  proved  all  through 

'  Sir  Henry,  then  Major,  H.  C.  Rawlinson,  C.B.,  visited  Persepolis  in 
1835.  The  Journals  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society  for  1846-9  publish  his 
copies  of  the  inscription  of  Behistun  and  Pcisepolis  and  his  translations. 


410  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  centuries  to  the  prayer  which  Darius  the  king  cut  on  a 
huge  slab,  twenty-six  feet  in  length  and  six  in  height,  in 
the  southern  wall  of  the  great  platform  at  Persepolis  :  '  Let 
not  war,  nor  slavery,  nor  decrepitude,  nor  lies  obtain  power 
over  this  province.'    Henry  Martyn  thus  wrote  of  his  visit : 

After  traversing  these  celebrated  ruins,  I  must  say 
that  I  felt  a  little  disappointed  :  they  did  not  at  all  answer 
my  expectation.  The  architecture  of  the  ancient  Persians 
seems  to  me  much  more  akin  to  that  of  their  clumsy  neigh- 
bours the  Indians,  than  to  that  of  the  Greeks.  I  saw  no 
appearance  of  grand  design  anywhere.  The  chapiters  of 
the  columns  were  almost  as  long  as  the  shafts  : — though 
they  are  not  so  represented  in  Niebuhr's  plate ; — and  the 
mean  little  passages  into  the  square  court,  or  room,  or 
whatever  it  was,  make  it  very  evident  that  the  taste  of  the 
Orientals  was  the  same  three  thousand  years  ago  as  it  is 
now.  But  it  was  impossible  not  to  recollect  that  here  Alex- 
ander and  his  Greeks  passed  and  repassed  ;  here  they  sat 
and  sung,  and  revelled  ;  now  all  is  in  silence,  generation 
on  generation  lie  mingled  with  the  dust  of  their  mouldering 
edifices : 

Alike  the  busy  and  the  gay, 

But  flutter  in  life's  busy  day, 

In  fortune's  varying  colours  drest 

As  soon  as  we  recrossed  the  Araxes,  the  escort  begged 
me  to  point  out  the  Keblah  to  them,  as  they  wanted  to  pray. 
After  setting  their  faces  towards  Mecca,  as  nearly  as  I 
could,  I  went  and  sat  down  on  the  margin  near  the  bridge, 
where  the  water,  falling  over  some  fragments  of  the  bridge 
under  the  arches,  produced  a  roar,  which,  contrasted  with 
the  stillness  all  around,  had  a  grand  effect.  Here  I  thought 
again  of  the  multitudes  who  had  once  pursued  their 
labours  and  pleasures  on  its  banks.  Twenty-one  centuries 
have  passed  away  since  they  lived  ;  how  short,  in  compari- 


W  PERSIA  4^ 

son,  must  be  the  remainder  of  my  days.  What  a  momentary 
duration  is  the  Hfe  of  man  !  Labitur  et  lahctur  in  omne 
volubilis  (zvuin,  may  be  affirmed  of  the  river  ;  but  men 
pass  away  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  exist.  Well,  let  the 
moments  pass  : 

They'll  waft  us  sooner  o'er 
This  life's  tempestuous  sea, 
And  land  us  on  the  peaceful  shore 
Of  blest  eternity. 

The  true  character  of  Martyn's  Mohammedan  and 
Soofi  controversialists  comes  out  in  the  fast  of  Ramazan, 
the  ninth  month  of  the  lunar  year,  when  from  dawn  to 
sunset  of  each  day  a  strict  fast  is  observed,  most  trying  to 
the  temper,  and  from  sunset  to  dawn  excess  is  too  naturally 
the  rule,  especially,  as  in  this  case,  when  Ramazan  falls  on 
the  long  hot  days  of  summer.  Of  this  month  the  traditions 
declare  that  the  doors  of  heaven  are  opened  and  the  doors 
of  hell  shut,  while  the  devils  are  chained.  At  this  time  the 
miracle  play  of  Hasan  and  Husain  '  is  acted  in  the  native 
theatres  from  night  to  night.  In  scene  xxxi.  are  enacted 
the  conversion  and  murder  of  an  English  ambassador. 
Dean  Stanley  used  to  tell  that  Henry  Martyn,  horrified  at 
the  English  oaths  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  Persian  who 
represented  the  ambassador  in  the  tragedy,  took  him  and 
taught  him  to  repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer  instead. 

September  20. — First  day  of  the  fast  of  Ramazan. 
All  the  family  had  been  up  in  the  night,  to  take  an  unsea- 
sonable meal,  in  order  to  fortify  themselves  for  the  absti- 
nence of  the  day.  It  was  curious  to  observe  the  effects  of 
the  fast  in  the  house.  The  master  was  scolding  and  beating 
his  servants ;  they  equally  peevish  and  insolent,  and  the 

'  See  the  Play  as  collected  from  oral  tradition  by  the  late  Sir  Lewis  Telly, 
in  two  volumes,  1879. 


412  HENRY  MARTYN 

beggars  more  than  ordinarily  importunate  and  clamorous. 
At  noon,  all  the  city  went  to  the  grand  mosque.  My  host 
came  back  with  an  account  of  new  vexations  there.  He 
was  chatting  with  a  friend,  near  the  door,  when  a  great 
preacher,  Hajji  Mirza,  arrived,  with  hundreds  of  followers. 
'  Why  do  you  not  say  your  prayers  .-' '  said  the  new-comers 
to  the  two  friends.  *  We  have  finished,'  said  they.  '  Well,' 
said  the  other,  '  if  you  cannot  pray  a  second  time  with  us, 
you  had  better  move  out  of  the  way.'  Rather  than  join 
such  turbulent  zealots  they  retired.  The  reason  of  this 
unceremonious  address  was,  that  these  loving  disciples  had 
a  desire  to  pray  all  in  a  row  with  their  master,  which,  it 
seems,  is  the  custom.  There  is  no  public  service  in  the 
mosque  ;  every  man  here  prays  for  himself 

Coming  out  of  the  mosque  some  servants  of  the  prince, 
for  their  amusement,  pushed  a  person  against  a  poor  man's 
stall,  on  which  were  some  things  for  sale,  a  few  European 
and  Indian  articles,  also  some  valuable  Warsaw  plates, 
which  were  thrown  down  and  broken.  The  servants  went 
off  without  making  compensation.  No  kazi  will  hear  a 
complaint  against  the  prince's  servants. 

Hajji  Mahommed  Hasan  preaches  every  day  during 
the  Ramazan.  He  takes  a  verse  from  the  Koran,  or  more 
frequently  tells  stories  about  the  Imams.  If  the  ritual  of 
the  Christian  Churches,  their  good  forms  and  everything 
they  have,  is  a  mere  shadow  without  a  Divine  influence 
attend  on  them,  what  must  all  this  Mahometan  stuff  be  ? 
and  yet  how  impossible  is  it  to  convince  the  people  of  the 
world,  whether  Christian  or  Mahometan,  that  what  they 
call  religion  is  merely  an  invention  of  their  own,  having 
no  connection  with  God  and  His  kingdom  !  This  subject 
has  been  much  on  my  mind  of  late.  How  senseless  the 
zeal  of  Churchmen  against  dissenters,  and  of  dissenters 
against  the  Church  !  The  kingdom  of  God  is  neither  meat 
nor  drink,  nor  anything  perishable  ;  but  righteousness,  and 
peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 


IN  PERSIA  413 

Mirza  Ibrahim  never  goes  to  the  mosque,  but  he  is 
so  much  respected  that  nothing  is  said  :  they  conclude 
that  he  is  employed  in  devotion  at  home.  Some  of  his 
disciples  said  to  Seyd  Ali,  before  him  :  '  Now  the  Ramazan 
is  come,  you  should  read  the  Koran  and  leave  the  Gospel.' 
'  No,'  said  his  uncle,  '  he  is  employed  in  a  good  work  :  let 
him  go  on  with  it'  The  old  man  continues  to  inquire 
with  interest  about  the  Gospel,  and  is  impatient  for  his 
nephew  to  explain  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  which  I 
have  drawn  up. 

September  22.  (Sunday.) — My  friends  returned  from 
the  mosque,  full  of  indignation  at  what  they  had  witnessed 
there.  The  former  governor  of  Bushire  complained  to  the 
vizier,  in  the  mosque,  that  some  of  his  servants  had  treated 
him  brutally.  The* vizier,  instead  of  attending  to  his 
complaint,  ordered  them  to  do  their  work  a  second  time  ; 
which  they  did,  kicking  and  beating  him  with  their  slippers, 
in  the  most  ignominious  way,  before  all  the  mosque.  This 
unhappy  people  groan  under  the  tyranny  of  their  governors  ; 
yet  nothing  subdues  or  tames  them.  Happy  Europe!  how 
has  God  favoured  the  sons  of  Japheth,  by  causing  them  to 
embrace  the  Gospel.  How  dignified  are  all  the  nations  of  ^ 
Europe  compared  with  this  nation  !  Yet  the  people  are  i/ 
clever  and  intelligent,  and  more  calculated  to  become  great 
and  powerful  than  any  of  the  nations  of  the  East,  had  they 
a  good  government  and  the  Christian  religion. 

September  29. — The  Soofi,  son  of  the  Moojtahid,  with 
some  others,  came  to  see  me.  For  fifteen  years  he  was  a 
devout  Mahometan  ;  visited  the  sacred  places,  and  said 
many  prayers.  Finding  no  benefit  from  austerities  he 
threw  up  Mahommedanism  altogether,  and  attached  him- 
self to  the  Soofi  master.  I  asked  him  what  his  object  was, 
all  that  time  }  He  said,  he  did  not  know,  but  he  was  un- 
happy. I  began  to  explain  to  him  the  Gospel  ;  but  he 
cavilled  at  it  as  much  as  any  bigoted  Mahommedan 
could  do,  and  would  not  hear  ol  there  being  any  distinction 


414  MENRY  MARTYN 

between  Creator  and  creature.  In  the  midst  of  our  con- 
versation, the  sun  went  down,  and  the  company  vanished 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  an  immediate  repast. 

Mirza  Seyd  AH  seems  sometimes  coming  round  to 
Christianity  against  Soofi-ism.  The  Soofis  believe  in  no 
prophet,  and  do  not  consider  Moses  to  be  equal  to  Mirza 
Abulkasim.  '  Could  they  be  brought,'  Seyd  AH  says,  '  to 
believe  that  there  has  been  a  prophet,  they  would  embrace 
Christianity.'  And  what  would  be  gained  by  such  con- 
verts ?  '  Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  Thy 
power.'  It  will  be  '  an  afflicted  and  poor  people  '  that  shall 
call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  such  the  Soofis  arc 
not :  professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  have  became 
fools. 

October  y. — I  was  surprised  by  a  visit  from  the  great 
Soofi  doctor,  who,  while  most  of  the  people  were  asleep, 
came  to  me  for  some  wine.  I  plied  him  with  questions 
innumerable  ;  but  he  returned  nothing  but  incoherent 
answers,  and  sometimes  no  answer  at  all.  Having  laid 
aside  his  turban,  he  put  on  his  night-cap,  and  soon  fell 
asleep  upon  the  carpet.  Whilst  he  lay  there  his  disciples 
came,  but  would  not  believe,  when  I  told  them  who  was 
there,  till  they  came  and  saw  the  sage  asleep.  When  he 
awoke,  they  came  in,  and  seated  themselves  at  the  greatest 
possible  distance,  and  were  all  as  still  as  if  in  a  church. 
The  real  state  of  this  man  seems  to  be  despair,  and  it  will 
be  well  if  it  do  not  end  in  madness.  I  preached  to  him 
the  kingdom  of  God  :  mentioning  particularly  how  I  had 
found  peace  from  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Spirit  of  God  ; 
through  the  first,  forgiveness  ;  through  the  second,  sancti- 
fication.  He  said  it  was  good,  but  said  it  with  the  same 
unconcern  with  which  he  admits  all  manner  of  things,  how- 
ever contradictory.     Poor  soul !  he  is  sadly  bewildered. 

As  a  Persian  scholar  and  controversialist  Henry  Martyn 
found  a  worthy  successor  in  the  German,  and  afterwards 


IN  PERSIA  4t5 

Church  Missionary  Society's  missionary,  C.  G.  Pfander,  D.D. 
When  for  some  twelve  years  stationed  at  Shushy  Fort,  on 
the  Russian  border  of  Georgia,  he  frequently  visited  Baghdad 
and  travelled  through  Persia  by  Ispahan  and  Teheran.  In 
1836  the  intolerant  Russian  Government  expelled  all 
foreign  missionaries  from  its  territories,  and  Dr.  Pfander 
joined  the  Church  Mission  at  Agra.  In  1835  he  first 
published  at  Shushy,  in  Persian,  his  famous  Mizan  ul  Haqq^ 
or  Balance  of  Truth.  A  Hindustani  translation  was  litho- 
graphed at  Mirzapore  in  1843,  ^"d  Mr.  R.  H.  Weakley, 
missionary  at  Constantinople,  made  an  English  translation, 
which  was  published  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in 
1867,  This,  as  yet,  greatest  of  works  which  state  the 
general  argument  for  Christianity  and  against  Islam,  was 
followed  by  the  Miftah  ul  Asrar,  in  proof  of  the  Divinity  of 
Christ  and  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  by  the  Tarik  ul 
Hyat,  or  the  nature  of  sin  and  the  way  of  salvation,  of  both 
of  which  Hindustani  translations  appeared.  In  his  little 
English  Remarks  on  the  Nature  of  Muhammadanisin^  as 
shown  in  the  Traditions,  Dr.  Pfander  quotes  from  Martyn's 
Controversy.  By  these  writings  and  the  personal  contro- 
versy in  India,  Dr.  Pfander,  following  Henry  Martyn,  was 
the  means  of  winning  to  Christ,  in  tolerant  British  India, 
many  Mohammedan  moulvies  like  him  who  is  now  the 
Rev.  Imad-ud-din,  D.D.^ 

Henry  Martyn's  description  of  the  Persian  is  no  less 


'  Second  edition  published  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in  1858. 

^  '  Some  of  our  most  eminent  Native  Christians  are  converts  from  Moham- 
medanism. We  may  particularly  mention  the  Rev.  Jani  AH,  B.A.  ;  the 
Rev.  Imad-ud-din,  D. U.  ;  the  Rev.  Imam  Shah  ;  the  Rev.  Mian  Sadiq  ;  the 
Rev.  Vakub  Ali  ;  Maulavi  Safdar  Ali,  a  high  Government  official  ;  Abdullah 
Athim,  also  a  high  official,  now  retired,  and  an  honorary  lay  evangelist.' — 
Church  Missionary  Society's  Intelligencer  in  1888. 


4i6  HENRY  MARTYN 

applicable  to  the  Indian  Mohammedan,  in  the  opinion  of  Sir 
William  Muir  ;  '  he  is  a  compound  of  ignorance  and  bigotry, 
^vand  all  access  to  the  one  is  hedged  up  by  the  other.'  The 
-— ^  Koran  and  the  whole  system  of  Islam  are  based  on  partial 
truths,  plagiarised  from  Scripture  to  an  extent  sufficient  to 
feed  the  pride  of  those  who  hold  them.  But  beyond  these 
corruptions  of  Judaism  and  Christianity,  for  which  the 
dead  Eastern  Churches  of  Mohammed's  time  and  since  are 
responsible,  Persians,  Turks,  Arabs,  Afghans,  and  Hindu- 
stan Muhammadans  know  nothing  either  of  history  or 
Christian  Divinity.  All  controversy,  from  P.  H.  Xavier's 
time  to  Martyn's,  Wilson's,  and  Pfander's,  shows  that  the  key 
of  the  position  is  not  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  as  the 
S  Shi'ah  Moojtahids  of  Shiraz  and  Lucknow  and  the  Soonni.n 
\  everywhere  make  it,  but  the  genuineness  and  integrity  of 
the  Scriptures,  by  which  the  truth  of  the  whole  Christian 
faith  will  follow,  the  Trinity  included.  The  Bible,  in 
Hindustani,  Persian,  and  Arabic,  with  its  self-evidencing 
power,  is  the  weapon  which  Henry  Martyn  was  busied  in 
forging. 


4^7 


CHAPTER   XI 

IN    PERSIA — TRANSLATING   THE   SCRIPTURES 

Great  as  saint  and  notable  as  scholar,  in  the  twelve  years 
of  his  young  life  from  Senior  Wrangler  to  martyr  at 
thirty-one  years  of  age,  the  highest  title  of  Henry  Martyn 
to  everlasting  remembrance  is  that  he  gave  the  Persians  in 
their  own  tongue  the  Testament  of  the  one  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Hebrew  Psalms.  By  that 
work,  the  fruit  of  which  every  successive  century  will 
reveal  till  the  consummation  of  the  ages,  he  unconsciously 
wrote  his  name  beside  those  of  the  greatest  missionaries  in 
the  history  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  the  sacred  scholars 
who  were  the  first  to  give  the  master  races  of  Asia  and 
Africa,  of  Europe  and  America,  the  Word  of  God  in 
their  vernaculars.  Let  us  write  the  golden  list,  which  for 
modern  Africa  and  Oceania  also  we  might  inscribe  in 
letters  of  silver,'  were  not  most  of  the  translators  still  living 
and  perfecting  their  at  first  tentative  efforts,  which  time 
must  try : 

'  *  That  list,  in  which  Martyn  holds  a  conspicuous  place,  has  grown  long 
of  late  years,  till  we  are  half  tempted  to  forget  that  the  share  our  age  has 
taken  and  is  taking  in  the  work  of  translating  and  distrib  iting  the  Scriptures, 
links  on  to  that  of  those  who  could  rememl)er  men  who  had  seen  the  Lord.' 
Canon  Edmonds'  Sermon,  preached  in  the  Cathedral  Church  of  Truro,  Octo- 
ber 1 6,  1890  (Exeter). 

E  E 


4i8  HENRY  MARTYN 

A.D. 

350  Ulfilas Gothic  (Teutonic) 

368  Frumentius  and  Edesius  (Brothers).         .  Ethiopic 

385  HiERONYMUS  (Jerome)         ....  Latin 

410  Mesrobes  (Miesrob)   .....  Armenian 

861  C.   Cyrillus  and  Methodius  (Brothers)  .  Slavonic  (Bulgarian) 

1380  WiCLiF  (Bede  in  735) English 

1516  Erasmus  (new  translation)  ....  Latin 

1534  Luther  (translation  from  Latin  of  Erasmus)  German 

1661  John  Eliot  (first  Bible  printed  in  America)  Moheecan 

1777  Fabricius  (Ziegenbalg  &  Schultze  first  17 14)  Tamul 

1801  William  Carey  (O.  T.  in  1802-9)     •         •  Bengali,  &c. 

1815  Henry  Martyn Persian 

1816  ,,                       (Sabat's  N.  T.  version)  Arabic 
1822  Joshua  Marshman  (Morrison  &  Milne  1823)  Chinese 
1832  Adoniram  Judson  (O.  T.  1834)        .         .  Burmese 
1865  Van  Dyck Arabic 


>  It  was  David  Brown  who  was  wont  to  call  the  Bible  'The 
Great  Missionary  which  would  speak  in  all  tongues  the 
wonderful  works  of  God.' 

From  first  to  last  and  above  all  Henry  Martyn  was  a 
philologist.  His  school  and  college  honours  sprang  from 
the  root  of  all  linguistic  studies,  Greek  and  Latin,  in  which 
he  was  twice  appointed  public  examiner  in  his  college  and 
the  University  of  Cambridge.  For  the  uncritical  time  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  generations  which  followed  his  to 
the  present,  he  was  an  enthusiastic  and  accomplished 
Hebraist.  No  young  scholar  in  the  first  quarter  of  the 
nineteenth  century  was  so  well  equipped  for  translating  the 
Bible  by  a  knowledge  of  its  two  original  languages.  True, 
he  was  the  Senior  Wrangler  of  the  year  1801,  but  to  him 
the  honour  was  a  '  shadow,'  because  the  mathematical 
sciences  could  do  nothing  for  him  as  a  translator  and 
preacher  of  the  words  of  righteousness,  compared  with  the 
linguistic.  Only  once,  when  the  rapture  of  his  holy  work 
had    carried    him    away   to    the    borderland   of    a    dark 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  4'9 

metaphysical  theology,  did  he  record  the  passing  regret 
that  he  had  abandoned  the  rationalistic  ground  of  mathe- 
matical certainty.  His  devotion  to  the  study  of  the 
languages  which  interpret  and  apply  to  the  races  of  India, 
Arabia,  and  Persia,  the  books  of  the  Christian  Revelation, 
was  so  absorbing  as  to  shorten  his  career.  Like  Carey,  he 
never  knew  an  idle  moment,  even  when  on  shipboard,  and 
he  jealously  guarded  his  time  from  correspondence,  other 
than  that  with  Lydia  Grenfell,  Brown  and  Corrie,  that  he 
might  live  to  finish  the  Hindustani,  Persian,  and  Arabic 
New  Testaments  at  least.  The  spiritual  motive  it  was,  the 
desire  to  win  every  man  to  Christ,  that  urged  his  unresting 
course,  and  in  the  sacred  toil  he  had  the  reflex  joy  of  being 
himself  won  nearer  and  nearer  by  the  Spirit. 

What  do  I  not  owe  to  the  Lord  for  permitting  me 
to  take  part  in  a  translation  of  His  Word  ?  Never  did  I 
see  such  wonder,  and  wisdom,  and  love  in  that  blessed 
book  as  since  I  have  been  obliged  to  study  every  expres- 
sion. All  day  on  the  translation,  employed  a  good  while 
at  night  in  considering  a  difficult  passage,  and  being  much 
enlightened  respecting  it,  I  went  to  bed  full  of  astonishment 
at  the  wonders  of  God's  Word.  Never  before  did  I  see 
anything  of  the  beauty  of  the  language  and  the  importance 
of  the  thoughts  as  I  do  now.  I  felt  happy  that  I  should 
never  be  finally  separated  from  the  contemplation  of  them, 
or  of  the  things  concerning  which  they  are  written. 
Knowledge  shall  vanish  away,  but  it  shall  be  because 
perfection  has  come. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  was  ever  on  the  watch  against  the 
deadening  influence  of  routine  or  one-sided  study.  'So 
constantly  engaged  with  outward  works  of  translation  of 
languages  that  I  fear  my  inward  man  has  declined  in 
spirituality.' 

E  E  2 


420  HENRY  MARTYN 

Canon  Edmonds  expresses  the  experience  of  the 
present  writer  in  the  remark/  that  to  read  Martyn's 
Journal  with  the  single  object  of  noticing  this  point  is  to 
discover  another  Martyn,  not  a  saint  only,  but  a  gram- 
marian, '  He  read  grammars  as  other  men  read  novels, 
and  to  him  they  were  more  entertaining  than  novels.'  So 
early  as  September  28,  1804,  in  Cambridge  we  find  him  at 
prayer  after  dinner,  before  visiting  Wall's  Lane,  and  then 
on  his  return  finishing  the  Bengali  Grammar  which  he  had 
begun  the  day  before.  '  I  am  anxious  to  get  Carey's 
Bengali  New  Testament,'  which  could  not  long  have 
reached  London.  Five  days  after,  Thomas  a  Kempis, 
followed  by  hymns  and  the  writing  of  a  sermon,  seemed 
but  the  preliminary  to  his  Hindustani  as  well  as  Bengali 
studies.  '  Engaged  all  the  rest  of  the  morning  by  Gil- 
christ's Hindustani  Dictionary.  After  dinner  began 
Halhed's  Bengali  Grammar,  for  I  found  that  the  other 
grammar  I  had  been  reading  was  only  for  the  corrupted 
Hindustani.'  The  first  traces  of  his  Persian  and  Arabic 
studies  have  an  interest  all  their  own  : 

i2>0/^,  Ju?te  27. — A  funeral  and  calls  of  friends  took  up 
my  time  till  eleven  ;  afterwards  read  Persian,  and  made 
some  calculations  in  trigonometry,  in  order  to  be  familiar 
with  the  use  of  logarithms. 

November  23. — Through  shortness  of  time  I  was  about 
to  omit  my  morning  portion  of  Scripture,  yet  after  some 
deliberation  conscience  prevailed,  and  I  enjoyed  a  solemn 
seriousness  in  learning  'mem'  in  the  1 19th  Psalm.  Wasted 
much  time  afterwards  in  looking  over  an  Arabic  grammar. 

When  fairly  at  work  in  Dinapore  he  wrote  almost  daily 
such  passages  in  his  Journal  as  these  : 

'   The  Churdwian  for  September  1889,  p.  635. 


IN  PERSIA  — TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  421 

1807,  Ajigust  25. — Translatint^  the  Epistles;  reading 
Arabic  grammar  and  Persian.  27  to  29. — Studies  in 
Persian  and  Arabic  the  same.  DeHght  in  them,  particu- 
larly the  latter,  so  great,  that  I  have  been  obliged  to  pray 
continually  that  they  may  not  be  a  snare  to  me.  .  .  . 
31st. — Resumed  the  Arabic  with  an  eagerness  which  I 
found  it  necessary  to  check.  Began  some  extracts  from 
Cashefi  which  Mr.  Gladwin  sent  me,  and  thus  the  day 
passed  rapidly  away.  Alas !  how  much  more  readily  does 
the  understanding  do  its  work  than  the  heart. 

On  reaching  Calcutta  in  1806  Martyn  found  this  to  be 
the  position  of  the  Bible  translation  work.  Carey's  early 
labours  had  led  to  the  formation  of  the  other  English  and 
Scottish  Missionary  Societies  at  the  close  of  the  last 
century.  By  1803  his  experience  and  that  of  his  colleagues 
had  enabled  them,  with  the  encouragement  of  Brown  and 
Buchanan,  to  formulate  a  magnificent  plan  for  trans- 
lating the  Bible  into  all  the  languages  of  the  far  East. 
The  Marquis  Wellesley,  though  Governor-General,  approved, 
and  his  College  at  I'^ort  William,  with  its  staff  of  learned 
men,  including  Carey  himself  and  many  Asiatics,  had 
become  a  school  of  interpreters.  In  1804,  after  all  this, 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was  founded,  under 
the  ex-Governor-General,  Lord  Teignmouth,  as  its  first 
president.  That  Society,  leaving  India  to  the  Serampore 
Brotherhood,  at  once  directed  its  attention  to  the  three 
hundred  millions  of  Chinese,  who  also  could  be  reached 
only  through  the  East  India  Company.  But,  until  six 
years  after,  when  Dr.  Marshman  made  the  first  reliable 
translation  of  the  Bible  into  the  language,  in  its  Mandarin 
dialect,  there  was  no  Chinese  translation  save  an  anonymous 
MS.  of  a  large  portion  of  the  New  Testament  in  the  British 


422  HENRY  MARTYN 

Museum,  probably  of  Roman  Catholic  origin.  At  that 
time  the  infant  Society  did  not  see  its  way  to  spend  two 
thousand  guineas  in  producing  an  edition  of  a  thousand 
copies  of  a  work  about  which  the  few  experts  differed. 
So,  while  giving  grants  to  the  Serampore  translators,  it  in- 
vited the  opinions,  as  to  the  formation  of  a  corresponding 
committee  in  Calcutta,  of  George  Udny,  who  had  by  that 
time  become  Member  of  Council,  and  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Brown,  Buchanan,  Carey,  Ward,  and  Marshman.  The 
Serampore  plan  and  its  rapid  execution  had  been  commu- 
nicated to  all  the  principal  civil  and  military  officials,  who, 
after  Lord  Wellesley's  tolerant  and  reverent  action,  sub- 
scribed liberally  to  carry  it  out,  and  the  Society  continued 
its  grants.  But  when  in  1807,  under  Lord  Minto,  the 
anti-Christian  reaction  set  in,  caused  by  a  groundless  panic 
as  to  the  Vellore  Mutiny,  and  the  Fort  William  College  was 
reduced,  Dr.  Buchanan  proposed  to  found  '  The  Christian 
Institution,'  the  Society  preferred  its  original  plan  of  a  corre- 
sponding committee,  which  was  formed  in  August  1809. 

Martyn  had  not  waited  one  hour  for  this.  Almost  from 
the  day  of  landing  at  the  capital  he  was  engaged  in 
Hindustani  translation,  and  in  studious  preparation  for  his 
projected  Persian  and  Arabic  Bibles.  In  the  brotherly 
intercourse  at  Aldeen  with  the  Serampore  missionaries  it 
was  arranged  to  leave  these  three  languages  entirely  to 
him,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Brown.  Part  of  the 
Society's  annual  grant  to  India  and  Ceylon  of  a  thousand 
pounds  a  year  was  assigned  to  pay  his  assistants,  Mirza 
Fitrut,  the  Persian,  and  Nathanael  Sabat,  the  Arabian,  and 
to  print  the  results.  The  Corresponding  Committee  caused 
an  annual  sermon  to  be  preached  in  Calcutta,  to  rouse 
public  intelligence  and    help.     On  the  first  day  of  18 10 


IN  PERSIA-  TRANSLA  TING   THE  SCRIPTURES  423 

Mr.  Brown  preached  it  in  the  old  church,  in  the  interest  chiefly 
of  the  thousands  of  native  Christians  who  had  been  baptized 
in  Tanjor  and  TinnevelH,  both  Reformed  and  Romanist, 
and  needed  copies  of  the  Tamul  Bible.  Such  was  the  result 
of  this  appeal,  headed  by  the  Commander-in-chief,  General 
Hewett,  with  the  sum  of  2,000  Sicca- rupees  (250/.),  that  the 
committee  resolved  on  establishing  a  '  Bibliotheca  Biblica,' 
combining  a  Bible  Repository  and  a  Translation  Library. 
The  Scottish  poet  and  friend  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Dr. 
Leyden,  was  foremost  in  the  enterprise,  and  took  charge 
of  work  in  the  languages  of  Siam  and  the  Spice  Islands,  as 
well  as  in  the  Pushtu  of  Afghanistan. 

On  the  first  day  of  181 1  it  fell  to  the  Rev.  Henry 
Martyn  to  preach  the  second  annual  sermon.'  His  appeal 
was  for  not  only  the  growing  native  Church  of  India, 
but  more  particularly  for  the  whole  number  of  nominal 
Christians,  of  all  sects,  in  India  and  Ceylon,  whom  he 
estimated  at  900,000.^  In  1881  the  Government  census 
returned  these,  in  the  Greater  India  of  our  day  but  with- 
out Ceylon,  as  upwards  of  2,000,000,  and  in  1891  as 
2,280,549.  Martyn's  figures  included  342,000  of  the 
Singhalese,  whom  the  Dutch  had  compelled  by  secular 
considerations  outwardly  to  conform.  The  sermon,  on 
Galatians  vi.  10,  was  published  at  the  time,  and  it  appears 
as  the  last  in  the  volume  of  Tzventy  Sermons  by  the  late 
Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  B.D.f  first  printed  at  Calcutta  with 
this  passage  in  the  preface  :  *  The  desire  to  know  how  such 
a  man  preached  is  natural  and  unavoidable.  ,  .  .  His 
manner  in  the  pulpit  was  distinguished  by  a  holy  solemnity, 

»  See  p.  314. 

*  Evidently  taken  in  detail  from  Adam's  Religious  World  Displayed. 

•  Fourth  edition,  London,  1822. 


424  HENRY  MARTYN 

always  suited  to  the  high  message  which  he  was  deHvering, 
and  accompanied  by  an  unction  which  made  its  way  to  the 
hearts  of  his  audience.  With  this  was  combined  a  fidehty 
at  once  forcible  by  its  justice  and  intrepidity,  and  pene- 
trating by  its  affection.  There  was,  in  short,  a  power  of 
holy  love  and  disinterested  earnestness  in  his  addresses 
which  commended  itself  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the 
sight  of  God.' 

Addressing  the  well-paid  servants  of  the  East  India 
Company  in  Calcutta,  and  its  prosperous  merchants  and 
shopkeepers,  the  preacher  said  :  '  Do  we  not  blush  at  the 
offers  of  assistance  from  home  .  .  .  where  all  that  is  raised 
may  be  employed  with  such  effect  in  benefiting  the  other 
three  quarters  of  the  globe  ?  Asia  must  be  our  care  ;  or,  if 
not  Asia,  India  at  least  must  look  to  none  but  us.  Honour 
calls  as  well  as  duty.'     He  then  continued  : 

Prove  to  our  friends  and  the  world  that  the  Mother 
Country  need  never  be  ashamed  of  her  sons  in  India.  What 
a  splendid  spectacle  does  she  present !  Standing  firm 
amidst  the  overthrow  of  the  nations,  and  spreading  wide 
the  shadow  of  her  wings  for  the  protection  of  all,  she  finds 
herself  at  leisure,  amidst  the  tumult  of  war,  to  form  bene- 
volent projects  for  the  best  interests  of  mankind.  Her 
generals  and  admirals  have  caused  the  thunder  of  her 
power  to  be  heard  throughout  the  south  ;  now  her  ministers 
of  religion  perform  their  part,  and  endeavour  to  fulfil  the 
high  destinies  of  Heaven  in  favour  of  their  country.  They 
called  on  their  fellow-citizens  to  cheer  the  desponding  nations 
with  the  Book  of  the  promises  of  Eternal  Life,  and  thus 
afford  them  that  consolation  from  the  prospect  of  a  happier 
world,  which  they  have  little  expectation  of  finding  amidst  • 
the  disasters  and  calamities  of  this.  The  summons  was 
obeyed.     As  fast  as  the  nature  of  the  undertaking  became 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  425 

understood,  and  was  perceived  to  be  clearly  distinct  from 
all  party  business  and  visionary  project,  great  numbers  of 
all  ranks  in  society,  and  of  all  persuasions  in  religion,  joined 
with  one  heart  and  one  soul,  and  began  to  impart  freely  to 
all  men  that  which,  next  to  the  Saviour,  is  God's  best  gift 
to  man.  .  .  . 

Shall  every  town  and  hamlet  in  England  engage  in  the 
glorious  cause,  and  the  mighty  Empire  of  India  do  nothing  ? 
Will  not  our  wealth  and  dignity  be  our  disgrace  if  we  do 
not  employ  it  for  God  and  our  fellow-creatures?  What 
plan  could  be  proposed,  so  little  open  to  objections,  and  so 
becoming  our  national  character  and  religion,  so  simple  and 
practicable,  yet  so  extensively  beneficial,  as  that  of  giving 
the  Word  of  God  to  the  Christian  part  of  our  native 
subjects  ?  .  .  .  Despise  not  their  inferiority,  nor  reproach 
them  for  their  errors  ;  they  cannot  get  a  BiBLE  to  read; 
had  they  been  blessed  with  your  advantages,  they  would 
have  been  perhaps  more  worthy  of  your  respect. 

The  brief  decade  of  Henry  Martyn's  working  life  fell 
at  a  time  when  the  science  of  Comparative  Philology  was 
as  yet  unborn,  but  the  materials  were  almost  ready  for 
generalisation.  Sir  William  Jones,  and  still  more  his 
successor  as  a  scholar — Henry  Thomas  Colebrooke — had 
used  their  opportunities  in  India  well  The  Bengal  Asiatic 
Society,  in  its  Asiatic  ResearcJies,  was  laboriously  piling  up 
facts  and  speculations.  These  awaited  only  the  flash  of 
hardworking  genius  to  evolve  the  order  and  the  laws  which 
have  made  Comparative  Grammar  the  most  fruitful  of  the 
historical  and  psychological  sciences.  It  might  have  been 
Martyn's,  had  he  lived  to  reach  England,  to  manifest  that 
genius.  His  Asiatic  career  was  contemporary  with  the 
most  fruitful  part  of  Colebrooke's.  He  toiled  and  he 
speculated,  as  he  mastered  the  grammar  and  much  of  the 


426'  HENRY  MARTYN 

vocabulary  of  the  great  classical  and  vernacular  languages 
which  made  him  a  seven-tongued  man.  But  his  divine 
motive  led  him  to  grope  for  the  philological  solvent  through 
the  imperfect  Semitic.  The  Germans,  Schlegel  and  Bopp, 
found  it  rather,  and  later,  in  the  richer  Aryan  or  Indo- 
European  family,  in  Sanskrit  and  old  Persian. 

His  longing  to  give  the  Arabs  the  Scriptures  in  their 
purity  intensified  his  devotion  to  the  study  of  Hebrew  ; 
had  he  lived  to  give  himself  to  the  Persian,  he  might  have 
anticipated  the  German  critics  who  used,  at  second-hand, 
the  materials  that  he  and  Colebrooke,  and  other  servants 
of  the  East  India  Company,  were  annually  accumulating. 
Nor  did  his  Hebraism  lead  him,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
century,  to  that  fertile  criticism  of  the  text  and  the  literary 
origin  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament  which,  at  the  end 
of  the  century,  is  beginning  to  make  the  inspired  historians 
and  the  prophets,  the  psalmists  and  the  moralists  of  the  old 
Jews  live  anew  for  the  modern  Church.  But  how  true  has 
proved  his  prediction  to  Corrie  in  the  year  1 809 : 

^  I  think  that  when  the  construction  of  Hebrew  is  fully 
understood,  all  the  scholars  in  the  world  will  turn  to  it  with 
avidity,  in  order  to  understand  other  languages,  and  then 
the  Word  of  God  will  be  studied  universally. 

Again  in  18 10: 

I  sit  for  hours  alone  contemplating  this  mysterious 
language.  If  light  does  not  break  upon  me  at  last  it  will 
be  a  great  loss  of  time,  as  I  never  read  Arabic  or  Persian. 
I  have  no  heart  to  do  it  ;  I  cannot  condescend  any  longer 
to  tread  in  the  paths  of  ignorant  and  lying  grammarians. 
I  sometimes  say  in  my  vain  heart  I  will  make  a  deep  cut 
in  the  mine  of  philology,  or  I  will  do  nothing ;  but  you 


IN  PERSIA-TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  427 

shall  hear  no  more  of  Scriptural  philology  till  I  make  some 
notable  discoveries. 

Again  in  181 1,  when  at  Bombay  : 

Chiefly  employed  on  the  Arabic  tract,  writing  letters  to 
Europe,  and  my  Hebrew  speculations.  The  last  encroached 
so  much  on  my  time  and  thoughts  that  I  lost  two  nights' 
sleep,  and  consequently  the  most  of  two  days,  without 
learning  more  than  I  did  the  first  hour. 

Happening  to  think  this  evening  on  the  nature  of  lan- 
guage more  curiously  and  deeply  than  I  have  yet  done,  I  got 
bewildered,  and  fancied  I  saw  some  grounds  for  the  opinions 
of  those  who  deny  the  existence  of  matter.  .  .  .  Oh,  what 
folly  to  be  wise  where  ignorance  is  bliss !  .  .  .  The 
further  I  push  my  inquiries  the  more  I  am  distressed. 
It  must  be  now  my  prayer,  not  '  Lord,  let  me  obtain  the 
knowledge  which  I  think  would  be  so  useful,'  but  'Oh, 
teach  me  just  as  much  as  Thou  seest  good  for  me.  Com- 
pared with  metaphysics,  physics  and  mathematics  appear 
with  a  kind  and  friendly  aspect,  because  they  seem  to  be 
within  the  limits  in  which  man  can  move  without  danger, 
but  on  the  other  1  find  myself  adrift.  Synthesis  is  the 
work  of  God  alone. 

Henry  Martyn's  first  practical  work  was  in  Hindustani. 
His  position  in  Dinapore  and  Patna,  the  capital  of  Bihar 
with  its  Hindi  dialects,  his  duties  to  the  native  wives  and 
families  of  the  soldiers  whom  he  taught  and  exhorted, 
his  preaching  to  the  Hindus  and  discussions  with  the 
Mohammedan.s,  all  led  him  to  prepare  three  works  -(i) 
portions  of  the  Book  of  Covnnon  Prayer,  which  Corrie 
finished  and  published  seventeen  years  after  his  death  ; 
(2)  a  Commentary  on  the  Parables,  in  1807;  (3)  the  Four 
Gospels  in  1809,  and  in  18 10  the  whole  Nezv  Testament. 
Let  us  look  at  him  in  his  spiritual  and  scholarly  workshop. 


428  HENRY  MARTYN 

iZoy,  January  i8.  (Sunday.)— Preached  on  Numbers 
xxiii.  19:  a  serious  attention  from  all.  Most  of  the 
European  tradesmen  were  present  with  their  families  ;  my 
soul  enjoyed  sweet  peace  and  heavenly-mindedness  for 
some  time  afterwards.  The  thought  suddenly  struck  me 
to-day,  how  easy  it  would  be  to  translate  the  chief  part 
of  the  Church  Service  for  the  use  of  the  soldiers'  wives, 
and  women  and  children,  and  so  have  the  service  in 
Hindustani,  by  which  a  door  would  be  opened  to  the 
heathen.  This  thought  took  such  hold  of  me,  that  after 
in  vain  endeavouring  to  fix  my  thoughts  on  anything  else, 
I  sat  down  in  the  evening,  and  translated  to  the  end  of 
the  Te  Deuin.  But  my  conscience  was  not  satisfied  that 
this  was  a  Sabbath  employment,  and  I  lost  the  sensible 
sweetness  of  the  Divine  presence.  However,  by  leaving  it 
off,  and  passing  the  rest  of  the  evening  in  reading  and 
singing  hymns,  I  found  comfort  and  joy.  Oh,  how  shall  I 
praise  my  Lord,  that  here  in  this  solitude,  with  people 
enough  indeed,  but  without  any  like-minded,  I  yet  enjoy 
fellowship  with  all  those  who  in  every  place  call  upon  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  see  myself  travelling  on 
with  them,  and  I  hope  I  shall  worship  with  them  in  His 
courts  above. 

January  19. — Passed  the  morning  with  the  moonshi  and 
pundit,  dictating  to  the  former  a  few  ideas  for  the  explana- 
tion of  the  Parable  of  the  Rich  Fool.  When  I  came  to  say 
that  there  was  no  eating  and  drinking,  etc.,  in  heaven,  but 
only  the  pleasures  of  God's  presence  and  holiness  ;  and 
that,  therefore,  we  must  acquire  a  taste  for  such  pleasures, 
the  Mussulman  was  unwilling  to  write,  but  the  Brahman 
was  pleased,  and  said  that  all  this  was  in  the  Puranas. 
Afterwards  went  on  with  the  translation  of  the  Liturgy. 

March  23.  (To  Brown.) — It  is  with  no  small  delight  that 
I  find  the  day  arrived  for  my  writing  to  my  very  dear  brother. 
Many  thanks  for  your  two  letters,  and  for  all  the  consola- 
tion contained  in  them,  and  many  thanks  to  our  Lord  and 


IN  PERSIA-TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  429 

Saviour,  who  has  given  me  such  a  help  where  I  once 
expected  to  struggle  on  alone  all  my  days.  Concerning 
the  character  in  the  Nagri  papers  you  have  sent  me  I  have 
to  say,  it  is  perfectly  the  same  as  the  one  used  here,  and  I 
can  read  it  easily  ;  and  the  difference  in  both  the  dialects 
from  the  one  here  is  so  trifling,  that  I  have  not  the  smallest 
doubt  of  the  Parables  being  understood  at  Benares  and 
Bettia  (a  Roman  Catholic  village),  and  cons'  quently 
through  a  vast  tract  of  country.  A  more  important 
inference  is,  that  in  whatever  dialect  of  the  Hindustani 
the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  shall  be  made,  it  will  be 
generally  understood.  The  little  book  of  Parables  is  at 
last  finished,  through  the  blessing  of  God.  I  cannot  say 
I  am  very  well  pleased  with  it  on  the  reperusal  ;  but  }'et 
containing,  as  it  does,  such  large  portions  of  the  Word  of  God, 
I  ought  not  to  doubt  of  its  accomplishing  that  which  He 
pleaseth. 

July  13. — Mr.  Ward  has  also  sent  me  a  long  and  learned 
letter.  He  is  going  to  print  the  Parables  without  dcLiy 
for  me,  and  the  modern  Hindustani  version  of  them  for 
themselves.  He  says,  '  The  enmity  of  the  natives  to  the 
Gospel  is  indeed  very  great,  but  on  this  point  the  lower 
orders  are  angels  compared  with  the  moonshis  and 
pundits.  I  believe  the  man  you  took  from  Serampore 
has  his  heart  as  full  of  this  poison  as  most.  The  fear 
of  loss  of  caste  among  the  poor  is  a  greater  obstacle 
than  their  enmity.  Our  strait  waistcoat  makes  our  arms 
ache.' 

December  29. — Translating  from  Hebrew  into  Hindu- 
stani in  the  morning.  Wrote  to  Mr.  Udny.  Read  Arabic 
and  Persian  as  usual  with  Sabat.  We  had  some  conversa- 
tion on  this  subject,  whether  we  might  not  expect  the  Holy 
Spirit  would  endue  us  with  extraordinary  powers  in  the 
acquisition  of  languages,  if  we  could  pray  for  it  only  with 
a  desire  to  be  useful  to  the  Church  of  God,  and  not  with 
a  wish  for  our  own  glory.     There  seemed  to  be  no  reason 


430 


HENRY  MARTYN 


linst  such  an  expectation.  I  sometimes  pray  for  the 
gifts  of  the  Spirit,  but  infinitely  greater  is  the  necessity  to 
ray  for  grace,  as  I  know  by  the  sorrowful  experience  of 
my  deceitfully  corrupt  heart. 

i^o^,  Jatiieary  7. — As  much  of  my  time  as  was  not 
employed  for  the  Europeans  has  been  devoted  chiefly  to 
translating  the  Epistles  into  Hindustani.  This  work  is 
finished  after  a  certain  manner.  But  Sabat  does  not  allow 
me  to  form  a  very  high  idea  of  the  style  in  which  it  is 
executed.  But  if  the  work  should  fail — which,  however, 
I  am  far  from  expecting — my  labour  will  have  been  richly 
repaid  by  the  profit  and  pleasure  derived  from  considering 
the  Word  of  God  in  the  original  with  more  attention  than 
I  had  ever  done. 

March  31. — -I  am  at  present  employed  in  the  toilsome 
work  of  going  through  the  Syriac  Gospels,  and  WTiting  out 
the  names,  in  order  to  ascertain  their  orthography  if  pos- 
sible, and  correcting  with  Mirza  the  Epistles.  This  last 
work  is  incredibly  difficult  in  Hindustani,  and  will  be 
nearly  as  much  so  in  Persian,  but  very  easy  and  elegant 
in  Arabic. 

June  I  to  4. — Employed  incessantly  in  reading  the 
Persian  of  St.  Matthew  to  Sabat.  Met  with  the  Italian 
padre,  Julius,  with  whom  I  conversed  in  French. 

June  6. — Going  on  with  the  Persian  Gospel,  visiting  the 
hospital,  and  with  the  men  at  night.  My  spirit  refreshed 
and  revived  by  every  night's  ministration  to  them.  Sent 
the  Persian  of  Matthew  to  Mr.  Brown  for  the  press,  and 
went  on  with  the  remainder  of  the  Hindustani  of  St, 
Matthew.  I  have  not  felt  such  trials  of  my  temper  for 
many  months  as  to-day.  The  General  declared  he  was 
an  enemy  to  my  design  in  translating  the  Scriptures.  My 
poor  harassed  soul  looked  at  last  to  God,  and  cast  its 
burden  of  sin  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Towards  evening 
I  found  rest  and  peace.  A  son-in-law  of  the  Qasi  ool 
Qoorrat,  of  Patna,  a  very  learned  man,  called  on  me.     I 


IN  PERSIA -TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  43/ 

put  to  him  several  questions  about  Pvlohammedanism,  which 
confused  him  ;  and  as  he  seemed  a  grave,  honest  man,  they 
may  produce  lasting  doubts. 

1809,  September  24. — Began  with  Mirza  Fitrut  the 
correction  of  the  Hindustani  Gospels  :  Quod  felix  faus- 
tumqtie  sit.  Began  with  my  men  a  course  of  lectures  from 
the  beginning  of  the  Bible. 

September  25  to  28. — Revising  Arabic  version  of 
Romans  ;  going  on  in  correction  of  Hindustani ;  preparing 
report  of  progress  in  translating  for  Bible  Society.  Reading 
occasionally  Menishi's  Turkish  Grammar, 

Completed  in  1810,  Martyn's  Hindustani  New  Testa- 
ment for  Mohammedans  was  passing  through  the  Seram- 
pore  press  when  the  great  fire  of  March  1 1, 181 2,  destroyed 
all  the  sheets  save  the  first  thirteen  chapters  of  Matthew's 
Gospel,  and  melted  the  fount  of  Persian  type.  The  Cor- 
responding Committee  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society,  for  which  it  had  been  prepared,  put  it  to  press  the 
second  time  at  Serampore,  from  finer  type,  and  it  appeared 
in  1 8 14  in  an  edition  of  2,000  copies,  on  English  paper. 
The  demand  for  portions  for  immediate  use  was  such  that 
3,000  copies  of  the  Gospels  and  Acts,  on  Patna  paper,  had 
been  previously  struck  off.  The  longing  translator — who 
had  once  written,  *  Oh,  may  I  have  the  bliss  of  soon  seeing 
the  New  Testament  in  Hindustani  and  Persian!' — had  then 
been  two  years  dead,  but  verily  his  works  followed  him. 
Such  was  the  reputation  of  the  version  that  it  was  read  in 
the  native  schools  at  Agra  and  elsewhere  ;  while  an  edition 
of  2,000  copies  in  the  Deva-Nagri  character,  for  Hindus, 
appeared  in  18 17,  and  was  used  up  till  a  Hindi  version 
was  prepared  from  it  by  Mr.  Bowley,  the  zealous  agent  of 
the  Church  Missionary  Society  at  Chunar  by  divesting  it 


432  HENRY  MARTYN 

of  the  Persian  and  Arabic  terms.  Bishop  Corrie's  revision 
of  this  work  and  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  were  cir- 
culated in  many  editions  and  extending  numbers,  in  the 
Kaithi  character  also,  among  the  millions  of  Hindus  who 
speak  the  most  widespread  of  Indian  languages  with  many 
dialects.  The  Bible  Society  in  London  welcomed  Martyn's 
work,  of  which  Professor  Lee  prepared  a  large  edition. 
Learning  that  the  lamented  scholar  had  done  some  work 
on  the  Old  Testament  in  Hindustani,  and  had  taught 
Mirza  Fitrut  Hebrew,  to  enable  that  able  moonshi  to  carry 
on  the  translation  from  the  original,  the  Society  first  pub- 
lished Genesis  in  Hindustani,  under  Professor  Lee's  care,  in 
1 817,  and  then  issued  a  revision  of  the  rough  draft  of  the 
entire  version  of  the  Old  Testament,  by  Bishop  Corrie  and 
Mr.  Thomason.  In  1843  Mr.  Schlirmann,  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  and  Mr.  Justice  Hawkins,  an  elder  of 
the  Free  Church  of  Scotland  and  an  accomplished  Bengal 
civilian,  issued  a  uniform  revision  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  in  the  Arabic  and  Roman  characters,  in  the 
course  of  which  Mr.  Schlirmann  'saw  reason  to  revert  in  a 
great  measure  to  the  translation  of  Henry  Martyn,  especi- 
ally in  the  latter  half  of  the  version.'  ^  Of  the  different 
translations  of  the  Bible  into  Hindustani,  the  Oordoo  or 
'  camp '  language  understood  by  the  sixty  millions  of 
Mussulmans  in  India,  this  criticism  is  just  :  '  the  idiomatic 
and  faithful  version  of  Henry  Martyn  still  maintains  its 
ground,  although,  from  the  lofty  elegance  of  its  style,  it  is 
better  understood  by  educated  than  by  illiterate  Moham- 
medans.' ^ 

In  the  first  generation,  from   18 14  to  1847,  after  the 

'  Fortieth  Report  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  p.  97. 
*  The  Bible  of  Every  Land  (Bagster),  1S48. 


IN  PERSIA-TRANSLATING   THE  SCRIPTURES  433 

appearance  of  Henry  Martyn's  work,  sixteen  editions  '  of 
the  Hindustani  New  Testament  were  published  and  sent 
into  circulation  among  the  then  fifty  millions  of  Mussul- 
mans in  India.  Before  Martyn's  work  was  printed,  he  and 
Corrie  used  to  dictate  to  inquirers  translations  of  Bible 
passages  suited  to  their  needs.  When  Corrie  was  at 
Chunar,  he  tells  us,  because  'there  was  not  at  that  time 
any  translation  of  the  Scriptures  to  put  into  his  hands,  a 
native  Roman  Catholic  took  down  the  translated  texts  on 
loose  pieces  of  paper.'  Years  after,  Mr.  Wilkinson,  of 
Gorakpore,  was  called  to  visit  the  man  on  his  death-bed, 
and  found  him  so  well  acquainted  with  Scripture  that 
he  asked  an  explanation.  '  The  poor  man  produced  the 
loose  slips  of  paper  on  which  he  had  written  my  transla- 
tions,' says  Corrie.  '  On  these,  it  appeared,  his  soul  had 
fed  through  life,  and  through  them  he  died  such  a  death 
that  Mr.  Wilkinson  entertained  no  doubt  of  his  having 
passed  into  glory.'  In  the  forty  years  since  the  sixteen 
editions  made  the  Word  of  God  known  to  thousands  of 
India  Mussulmans,  the  Oordoo  Bible  has  caused  the  Word 
to  grow  mightily,  and  in  many  cases  to  prevail. 

The  entire  Bible  in  Hindustani  was  again  revised,  by 
Dr.  R.  C.  Mather,  after  many  years'  experience  in  Benares 
and  Mirzapore,  and  was  published,  in  both  the  Arabic  and 
Roman  characters,  in  1869,  after  continuous  labour  for  more 
than  six  years.  He  stumbled,  in  the  library  of  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  on  sixteen  manuscript  volumes 
of  a  Hindustani  translation  of  nearly  the  whole  Old  Testa- 
ment, beginning  with  Martyn's  Genesis.  The  folios  were 
interleaved,   and   on   the  blank  pages  were    thousands   of 

'  See  Contributions  Towards  a  History  of  Biblical  Translations  in  India. 
Calcutta  and  London  (Dalton),  1854. 

F  F 


434  HENRY  MARTYN 

notes  in  English.  At  the  end  of  the  Pentateuch  the  copyist 
records  that  '  the  above  has  been  completed,  by  order  of 
Paymaster  Sherwood,  for  the  Rev.  Daniel  Corrie,  by  me, 
Makhdum  Buksh.'  The  copy  seems  to  have  been  the 
accomplished  Thomason's,  and  to  have  been  deposited  in 
the  library  by  his  widow  after  his  death  at  Port  Louis, 
Mauritius.  This  practically  complete  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  had  been  lost  for  forty  years.  The  eulogy 
passed  by  Thomason  on  Martyn's  Hindustani  New  Testa- 
ment, that  it  'will  last  as  a  model  of  elegant  writing  as  well 
as  of  faithful  translation,'  is  pronounced  by  Dr.  Mather,' 
after  all  that  time,  as,  'in  the  main,  just ;  the  work  has  lasted 
and  continued  to  be  acceptable,  and  will  perhaps  always 
continue  to  be  useful.  All  subsequent  translators  have,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  proceeded  upon  it  as  a  work  of  excellent 
skill  and  learning,  and  rigid  fidelity.' 

The  modern  Arabic  translation  of  the  New  Testament 
by  Martyn  and  Sabat,  was  not  printed  (in  Calcutta)  till 
1816,  and  the  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  was  con- 
tinued under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Thomason,  who  became 
virtually  Martyn's  literary  executor,  and  whose  labours  as 
Oriental  translator  and  editor  hurried  him,  like  his  friend, 
to  a  premature  death.  Both  had  the  same  biographer — 
the  good  Sargent,  Rector  of  Lavington.  As  Thomason 
toiled  at  the  Arabic,  Persian,  and  Hindustani  editions,  he 
wrote:  'I  am  filled  with  astonishment  at  the  opening 
scenes  of  usefulness.  Send  us  labourers — send  us  faithful 
laborious  labourers  ! '  ^     Martyn's  Arabic  New  Testament, 


'  Monograph  on  Hindustani  Versions  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  by 
the  Rev.   R.  C.  Mather,  LL.D.  (without  date). 

-  The  Life  of  Rev.  T.  T.  Ty^wwa^o;/,  il/..4.,by  thelateRev.  J.  Sargent,  M.A., 
second  edition,  Seeley's,  1834. 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING   THE  SCRIPTURES  435 

produced  with  the  assistance  of  an  undoubtedly  learned 
Arab,  as  conceited  and  of  temper  as  intolerable  as  Sabat, 
did  its  work  among  the  *  learned  and  fastidious  '  Moham- 
medans for  whom  chiefly  it  was  prepared.  Professor  Lee 
issued  a  second  edition  in  London,  and  Mr.  Thomason 
a  third  in  Calcutta.  In  common  with  the  old  translations, 
made  for  the  land  in  which  St.  Paul  began  the  first  missionary 
work,  and  reproduced  in  various  Polyglot  Bibles,  it  has 
been  superseded  by  the  wonderfully  perfect  and  altogether  ' 
beautiful  Arabic  Bible  (Beirut)  of  Dr.  EH  Smith  and  Dr. 
Van  Dyck,  on  which  these  American  scholars,  assisted  by 
learned  natives  of  Syria  and  Cairo,  were  occupied  for  nearly 
thirty  years.  In  the  Beirut  Arabic  Scriptures,  Henry 
Martyn's  troubled  life  with  Sabat  found  early  and  luxu- 
riant fruit.  How  wisely  and  humbly  the  missionary  chap- 
lain of  the  East  India  Company  estimated  his  own,  and 
especially  his  Arabic,  translations,  and  how  at  the  same 
time  he  longed  to  live  that  he  might  do  in  1812-20  what 
Eli  Smith  and  Van  Dyck  did  in  1837-65,  may  be  seen 
from  these  early  letters  and  journals  : 

To  THE  Rev.  David  Brown,  Calcutta 

Cawnpore  :  June  11,  1810. 

Dearest  Sir, —  The  excessive  heat,  by  depriving  me  ot 
my  rest  at  night,  keeps  me  between  sleeping  and  waking 
all  day.  This  is  one  reason  why  I  have  been  remiss  in 
answering  your  letters.  It  must  not,  however,  be  concealed 
that  the  man  Daniel  Corrie  has  kept  me  so  long  talking  that 
I  have  had  no  time  for  writing  since  his  arrival. 

Your  idea  about  presenting  splendid  copies  of  the 
Scriptures  to  native  great  men  has  often  struck  me,  but  my 
counsel  is,  not  to  do  it  with  the  first  edition.  1  have  too 
little  faith  in  the  instruments  to  believe  that  the  first  editions 

F  F  2 


436  HENRY  MARTYN 

will  be  excellent  ;  and  if  they  should  be  found  defective, 
we  cannot  after  once  presenting  the  great  men  with  one 
book,  repeat  the  thing. 

Before  the  second  edition  of  the  Arabic,  what  say  you 
to  my  carrying  the  first  with  me  to  Arabia,  having  under 
the  other  arm  the  Persian,  to  be  examined  at  Shiraz 
or  Teheran  ?  By  the  time  they  are  both  ready  I  shall  have 
nearly  finished  my  seven  years,  and  may  go  on  furlough. 

I  am  glad  to  find  you  promising  to  give  yourself  wholly 
to  your  plans.  I  always  tremble  lest  Mrs.  Brown  should 
order  you  home  ;  but  I  must  not  suspect  her,  she  has  the 
soul  of  a  missionary.  If  you  go  soon  we  shall  all  droop 
and  die.  Your  Polyglot  speculations  are  fine,  but  Polyglots 
are  Biblical  luxuries,  intended  for  the  gratification  of  men 
of  two  tongues  or  more.  We  must  first  feed  those  that 
have  but  one,  especially  as  single  tongues  are  growing  upon 
us  so  fast. 

June  12. — To-day  I  have  requested  the  Commander  of 
the  forces  to  detain  D.  Corrie  here  to  assist  me;  he  said  he 
did  not  like  to  make  innovations,  but  would  keep  him 
here  for  two  or  three  months.  This  will  be  a  great  relief 
to  my  labouring  chest,  for  I  am  still  far  from  being  out  of 
the  fear  of  consumption.  Tell  me  that  you  have  prayed 
for  me.  Yours,  etc.  H.  M. 

August  22. — I  want  silence  and  diversion,  a  little  dog  to 
play  with  ;  or  what  would  be  best  of  all,  a  dear  little  child, 
such  as  Fanny  was  when  I  left  her.  Perhaps  you  could 
learn  when  the  ships  usually  sail  for  Mocha.  I  have  set 
my  heart  upon  going  there  ;  I  could  be  there  and  back  in 
six  months. 

Sepleniber  8.  — Your  tide  rolls  on  with  terrifying  rapidity, 
at  least  I  tremble  while  committing  myself  to  it.  You  look 
to  me,  and  I  to  Sabat ;  and  Sabat  I  look  upon  as  the  staff 
of  Egypt.  May  I  prove  mistaken  !  All,  however,  does 
not  depend  upon   him.      If  my  life   is  spared,  there  is  no 


IN  PERSIA—TRANSLATING    THE   SCRIPTURES  437 

reason  why  the  Arabic  should  not  be  done  in  Arabia,  and 
the  Persian  in  Persia,  as  well  as  the  Indian  in  India.  I  hope 
your  Shalome  has  not  left  you.  I  promise  myself  great 
advantage  in  reading  Hebrew  and  Syriac  with  him. 

September  9. — Yours  of  the  27th  ult.  is  a  heart-breaking 
business.  Though  I  share  so  deeply  in  Sabat's  disgrace,  I 
feel  more  for  you  than  myself,  but  1  can  give  you  no  comfort 
except  by  saying,  '  It  is  well  that  it  w^as  in  thine  heart.' 
Your  letter  will  give  a  new  turn  to  my  life.  Henceforward 
I  have  done  with  India.  Arabia  shall  hide  me  till  I  come 
forth  with  an  approved  New  Testament  in  Arabic.  I  do 
not  ask  your  advice,  because  I  have  made  up  my  mind,  but 
shall  just  wait  your  answer  to  this,  and  come  down  to  you 
instantly.  I  have  been  calculating  upon  the  means  of 
support,  and  find  that  I  shall  have  wherewithal  to  live. 
Besides,  the  Lord  will  provide.  Before  Him  I  have  spread 
this  affair,  and  do  not  feel  that  I  shall  be-  acting  contrary 
to  His  will.  .  .  .  Will  Government  let  me  go  away  for  three 
years  before  the  time  of  my  furlough  arrives  ?  If  not,  I 
must  quit  the  service,  and  I  cannot  devote  my  life  to  a  more 
important  work  than  that  of  preparing  the  Arabic  Bible. 

Herewith  you  will  receive  the  first  seven  chapters  in 
Persian  and  Hindustani,  though  I  suppose  you  have  ceased 
to  wish  for  them.  The  Persian  will  only  prove  that  Sabat 
is  not  the  man  for  it.  I  have  protested  against  many  things 
in  it,  but  instead  of  sending  you  my  objections  I  inclose  a 
critique  by  Mirza,  who  must  remain  unknown.  I  am  some- 
what inclined  to  think  the  Arabic  not  quite  so  hopeless. 
Sabat  is  confident,  and  eager  to  meet  his  opponents.  His 
version  of  the  Romans  was  certainly  not  from  the  old  one, 
because  he  translated  it  all  before  my  face  from  the 
English  ;  but  then,  as  I  hinted  long  ago,  he  is  inaccurate 
and  not  to  be  depended  upon.  He  entirely  approves  of  my 
going  to  Busrah  with  his  translations,  and  the  old  one, 
confident  that  the  decision  there  will  be  in  his  favour. 
Dear  Sir,  take  measures  for  transmitting  me  with  the  least 


438  HENRY  MARTYN 

possible    delay ;   detain    me    not,  for    the   King's  business 
requires  haste. 

The  King  sent  His  eager  servant  to  Persia,  and  did  not 
give  him  the  desire  of  his  heart  to  enter  Arabia.  Truly  he 
hastened  so  unrestingly  that  the  Spirit  of  God  led  him  to 
complete  the  Persian  New  Testament,  and  then  carried  him 
away  from  the  many  tongues  of  mortal  men,  which  as  they 
sprang  from  disunion,  so  they  are  to  'cease'  in  the  one 
speech  of  the  multitudes  of  every  nation  and  kindred  and 
tribe  and  tongue  who  sing  the  new  song. 

The  following  letter  to  Charles  Simeon,  the  original  of 
which  was  presented  by  his  biographer,  Canon  Carus,  to 
Canon  Moor,  who  permits  it  to  be  published  here  for  the 
first  time,  fitly  introduces  Henry  Martyn's  translation  used 
in  Persia.  Simeon  received  it  on  January  21,  1812,  and 
thus  wrote  of  it  to  Thomason  : 

From  whom,  think  you,  did  I  receive  a  letter  yesterday  .-* 
From  our  beloved  Martyn  in  Persia.  He  begins  to  find  his 
strength  improve,  and  he  is  '  disputing  dail}' '  with  the 
learned,  who,  he  says,  are  extremely  subtile.  They  are  not 
a  little  afraid  of  him,  and  are  going  to  write  a  book  on  the 
evidences  of  their  religion.  The  evidences  of  Mohamme- 
danism !  A  fine  comparison  they  will  make  with  those  of 
Christianity.  Oh,  that  God  may  endue  our  brother  with 
wisdom  and  strength  to  execute  all  that  is  in  his  heart.  He 
is  desirous  of  spending  two  years  in  Persia,  and  is  willing  to 
sacrifice  his  salary  if  the  East  India  Company  will  not  give 
him  leave.  I  am  going  in  an  hour  to  Mr.  Grant  to  consult 
him,  and  shall  call  on  Mr.  Astell  if  Mr.  Grant  thinks  it 
expedient. 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  439 

To  Rev.  C.  Simeon 

Shiraz  :  July  8,  181 1. 

My  dearest  Friend  and  Brother, — My  last  letter  to 
you  was  from  Bombay.  I  sailed  thence  on  March  25,  in 
the  Company's  corvette,  the  Benares.  As  the  ship  was 
manned  principally  by  Europeans,  I  had  a  good  deal 
to  do  during  the  voyage,  but  through  the  mercy  of  our 
Heavenly  Father  I  was  so  far  from  suffering  that  I  rather 
gained  strength,  and  am  now  apparently  as  well  as  ever  I 
was.  On  Easter  day  we  made  the  coast  of  Mekran,  in 
Persia,  and  on  the  Sunday  following  landed  at  Muscat,  in 
Arabia,  tlere  I  met  with  an  African  slave,  who  tried  hard 
to  persuade  me  that  I  was  in  the  wrong  and  he  in  the 
right.  The  dispute  ended  in  his  asking  for  an  Arabic 
Testament,  which  I  gave  him.  We  were  about  a  month  in 
the  Persian  Gulf,  generally  in  sight  of  land.  At  last,  on 
May  22,  I  was  set  down  at  Bushire,  in  Persia,  and  was 
kindly  received  by  the  English  Resident.  One  day  I  went 
to  the  Armenian  church,  at  the  request  of  the  priest,  not 
expecting  to  see  anything  like  Christian  worship,  and 
accordingly  I  did  not.  The  Word  of  God  was  read,  indeed, 
but  in  such  a  way  that  no  man  could  have  understood  it. 
After  church  he  desired  me  to  notice  that  he  had  censed 
vae  foio-  times  because  I  was  a  priest.  This  will  give  you 
an  idea  of  their  excessive  childishness.  I  took  occasion 
from  his  remark  to  speak  about  the  priest's  office,  and  the 
awful  importance  of  it.  Nothing  can  be  conceived  more 
vapid  and  inane  than  his  observations. 

As  soon  as  my  Persian  dress  was  ready,  I  set  off  for 
the  interior  in  a  kafila,  or  small  caravan,  consisting  chiefly  of 
mules,  and  after  a  very  fatiguing  journey  of  ten  days  over 
the  mountains,  during  which  time  the  difference  in  the 
thermometer  by  day  and  night  was  often  sixty  degrees,  I 
arrived  at  this  place  about  a  month  ago. 


440  HENRY  MARTYN 

I  had  no  intention  of  making  any  stay  here,  but  I  found, 
on  my  producing  Sabat's  Persian  translation,  that  I  must 
sit  down  with  native  Persians  to  begin  the  work  once  more. 
The  fault  found  with  Sabat's  work  is  that  he  uses  words 
not  only  so  difficult  as  to  be  unintelligible  to  the  generality, 
but  such  as  never  were  in  use  in  the  Persian. 

When  it  is  considered  that  the  issue  of  all  disputes  with 
'the  Mohammedans  is  a  reference  to  the  Scriptures,  and 
that  the  Persian  and  Arabic  are  known  all  over  the 
Mohammedan  world,  it  will  be  evident  that  we  ought  to 
spare  no  pains  in  obtaining  good  versions  in  these  lan- 
guages. Hence  I  look  upon  my  staying  here  for  a  time  as 
a  duty  paramount  to  every  other,  and  I  trust  that  the 
Government  in  India  will  look  upon  it  in  the  same  light. 
If  they  should  stop  my  pay,  it  would  not  alter  my  purpose 
in  the  least,  but  it  would  be  an  inconvenience.  I  should 
be  happy,  therefore,  if  the  Court  of  Directors  would  sanc- 
tion my  residence  in  these  parts  for  a  year  or  two.  No  one 
,  who  has  been  in  Persia  will  imagine  that  I  am  here  for  my 
own  pleasure.  India  is  a  paradise  to  it.  All  is  poverty 
and  desolation  without,  and  within  I  have  no  comfort  but 
in  my  God.  I  am  in  the  midst  of  enemies,  who  argue 
ao-ainst  the  truth,  sometimes  with  uncommon  subtlety. 
But  I  pray  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  Lord's  promise,  and  I 
am  assured  that  He  will  be  with  me  and  give  me  a  mouth 
and  a  wisdom,  which  all  my  adversaries  shall  not  be  able 
to  crainsay  or  resist.  I  am  sometimes  asked  whether  I  am 
not  afraid  to  speak  so  boldly  against  the  Mohammedan  reli- 
gion. I  tell  them  if  I  say  or  do  anything  against  the  laws 
I  am  not  unwilling  to  suffer,  but  if  I  say  nothing  but  what 
naturally  comes  in  the  course  of  argument — it  is  an  argu- 
ment too  which  you  yourselves  began— why  should  I  fear  } 
You  know  the  power  of  the  English  too  well  to  suppose 
that  they  would  let  any  violence  be  offered  to  me  with 
impunity. 

The  English  ambassador,  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  whom  I 


IN  PERSIA  -TRANSLATING   THE  SCRIPTURES  441 

met  here  on  his  way  toTabrcez,  carried  me  with  him  to  the 
court  of  the  prince,  who,  though  tributary  to  his  father,  is  a 
sovereign  prince  in  Elam,  as  the  S.  Scriptures  call  the  pro- 
vince of  Pars.  He  has  also  recommended  me  to  the  prince's 
favourite  minister,  so  that  I  am  in  no  danger.  But  there 
is  certainly  a  great  stir  among  the  learned,  and  every  effort 
is  made  to  support  their  cause.  They  have  now  persuaded 
the  father  of  all  the  moollas  to  write  a  book  in  Arabic  on 
the  evidences  of  the  Mohammedan  religion,  a  book  which 
is  to  silence  me  for  ever.  I  rather  suppose  that  the  more 
their  cause  is  examined  the  worse  it  will  appear. 

I  have  had  no  news  from  India  these  four  months,  so 
I  can  say  nothing  of  our  friends  there.  Let  your  next 
letters  be  sent  not  to  India,  but  direct  to  Persia,  in  this 
way :  Rev.  H.  M.,  care  of  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  Bart,  Ambas- 
sador Extraordinary,  etc.,  Teheran  ;  care  of  S.  Morier,  Esq., 
Constantinople  ;  care  of  George  Moore,  Esq.,  Malta.  My 
kindest  love  to  all  your  dear  people,  Messrs.  Bowman 
and  Goodall,  Parish,  Port,  Phillips,  etc.  I  hope  they 
continue  to  remember  me  once  a  week  in  their  prayers  ; 
to  the  four  godly  professors -j^  to  your  young  men  though 
to  me  unknown,  and  especially  to  your  brother.  Believe 
me  to  be  yours  ever  most  affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 

i2,i2,  fanuary  i  to  8. — Spared  by  mercy  to  see  the 
beginning  of  another  year.  The  last  has  been  in  some 
respects  a  memorable  year  ;  transported  in  safety  to  Shiraz, 
I  have  been  led,  by  the  particular  providence  of  God,  to 
undertake  a  work  the  idea  of  which  never  entered  my 
mind  till  my  arrival  here,  but  which  has  gone  on  without 
material  interruption  and  is  now  nearly  finished.  To  all 
appearance  the  present  year  will  be  more  perilous  than  any 
I  have  seen,  but  if  I  live  to  complete  the  Persian  New 
Testament,  my  life  after  that  will  be  of  less  importance. 

'  Dr.   Milner,  Dr.  Ruiusdcn,  Dr.  Jowett,   Mr.    Farish  (Charles  Simeon's 
wriling). 


442  HENRY  MARTYN 

But  whether  life  or  death  be  mine,  may  Christ  be  magnified 
in  me.     If  He  has  work  for  me  to  do,  I  cannot  die. 

He  had  just  before  written  this  pathetic  letter,  of 
exquisite  friendliness  : 

To  THE  Rev.  D.  Corrie 

Shiraz:  December  12,  1811. 

Dearest  Brother, — Your  letters  of  January  28  and 
April  22  have  just  reached  me.  After  being  a  whole  year 
without  any  tidings  of  you,  you  may  conceive  how  much 
they  have  tended  to  revive  my  spirits.  Indeed,  I  know  not 
how  to  be  sufficiently  thankful  to  our  God  and  Father  for 
giving  me  a  brother  who  is  indeed  a  brother  to  my  soul, 
and  thus  follows  me  with  affectionate  prayers  wherever  I 
go,  and  more  than  supplies  my  place  to  the  precious  flock 
over  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  us  overseers.  There 
is  only  one  thing  in  your  letters  that  makes  me  uneasy,  and 
that  is,  the  oppression  you  complain  of  in  the  hot  weather. 
As  you  will  have  to  pass  another  hot  season  at  Cawnpore, 
and  I  do  not  know  how  many  more,  I  must  again  urge  you 
to  spare  yourself  I  am  endeavouring  to  learn  the  true  use 
of  time  in  a  new  way,  by  placing  myself  in  idea  twenty  or 
thirty  years  in  advance,  and  then  considering  how  I  ought 
to  have  managed  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago.  In  racing 
violently  for  a  year  or  two,  and  then  breaking  down  .?  In 
this  way  I  have  reasoned  myself  into  contentment  about 
staying  so  long  at  Shiraz.  I  thought  at  first,  what  will  the 
Government  in  India  think  of  my  being  away  so  long,  or 
what  will  my  friends  think  ?  Shall  I  not  appear  to  all  a 
wandering  shepherd,  leaving  the  flock  and  running  about 
for  my  own  pleasure  !  But  placing  myself  twenty  years  on 
in  time,  I  say,  Why  could  not  I  stay  at  Shiraz  long  enough 
to  get  a  New  Testament  done  there,  even  if  I  had  been 
detained  there  on  that  account  three  or  six  years  .?  What 
work  of  equal  importance  can  ever  come  from  me?     So 


IN  PERSIA  — TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  ^43 

that  now  I  am  resolved  to  wait  here  till  the  New  Testament 
is  finished,  though  I  incur  the  displeasure  of  Government,  or 
even  be  dismissed  the  service.  I  have  been  many  times 
on  the  eve  of  my  departure,  as  my  translator  promised  to 
accompany  me  to  Baghdad,  but  that  city  being  in  great 
confusion  he  is  afraid  to  trust  himself  there  ;  so  I  resolved 
to  go  westward  through  the  north  of  Persia,  but  found  it 
impossible,  on  account  of  the  snow  which  blocks  up  the 
roads  in  winter,  to  proceed  till  spring.  Here  I  am 
therefore,  for  three  months  more  ;  our  Testament  will  be 
finished,  please  God,  in  six  weeks.  I  go  on  as  usual,  riding 
round  the  walls  in  the  morning,  and  singing  hymns  at  night 
over  my  milk  and  water,  for  tea  I  have  none,  though  I  much 
want  it.  I  am  with  you  in  spirit  almost  every  evening,  and 
feel  a  bliss  I  cannot  describe  in  being  one  with  the  dear 
saints  of  God  all  over  the  earth,  through  one  Lord  and  one 
Spirit. 

They  continued  throwing  stones  at  me  every  day,  till 
happening  one  day  to  tell  Jaffir  Ali  Khan,  my  host,  how 
one  as  big  as  my  fist  had  hit  me  in  the  back,  he  wrote  to 
the  Governor,  who  sent  an  order  to  all  the  gates,  that  if  any 
one  insulted  me  he  should  be  bastinadoed,  and  the  next 
day  came  himself  in  state  to  pay  me  a  visit.  These 
measures  have  had  the  desired  effect ;  they  now  call  me  the 
Feringhi  Nabob,  and  very  civilly  offer  me  the  kalean  ;  but 
indeed  the  Persian  commonalty  are  very  brutes  ;  the 
Soofis  declare  themselves  unable  to  account  for  the  fierce- 
ness of  their  countrymen,  except  it  be  from  the  influence  of 
Islam,  After  speaking  in  my  praise  one  of  them  added 
'and  there  are  the  Hindus  too  (who  have  brought  the 
guns),  when  I  saw  their  gentleness  I  was  quite  charmed 
with  them  ;  but  as  for  our  Iranees,  they  delight  in  nothing 
but  tormenting  their  fellow  creatures.'  These  Soofis  are 
quite  the  Methodists  of  the  East.  They  delight  in  every- 
thing Christian,  except  in  being  exclusive.  They  consider 
that    all   will     finally    return    to    God,  from    whom    they 


444  HENRY  MARTYN 

emanated,  or  rather  of  whom  they  are  only  different  forms. 
The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  they  admired,  but  not  the 
atonement,  because  the  Mohammedans,  they  say,  consider 
Imam  Husain  as  also  crucified  for  the  sins  of  men  ;  and  to 
everything  Mohammedan  they  have  a  particular  aversion. 
Yet  withal  they  conform  externally.  From  these,  however, 
[you  will  perceive  the  first  Persian  Church  will  be  formed, 
judging  after  the  manner  of  men.  The  employment  of  my 
leisure  hours  is  translating  the  Psalms  into  Persian.  What 
will  poor  Pltrut  do  when  he  gets  to  the  poetical  books  .'' 
Job,  I  hope,  you  have  let  him  pass  over.  The  Books  of 
Solomon  are  also  in  a  very  sorry  condition  in  the  English. 
The  Prophets  are  all  much  easier,  and  consequently  better 
done.  I  hear  there  is  a  man  at  Yezd  that  has  fallen  into 
the  same  way  of  thinking  as  myself  about  the  letters,  and 
professes  to  have  found  out  all  the  arts  and  sciences  from 
them.  I  should  be  glad  to  compare  notes  with  him.  It  is 
now  time  for  me  to  bid  you  good  night.  We  have  had  ice 
on  the  pools  some  time,  but  no  snow  yet.  They  build  their 
houses  without  chimneys,  so  if  we  want  a  fire  we  must 
take  the  smoke  along  with  it.  I  prefer  wrapping  myself 
in  my  sheepskin. 

Your  accounts  of  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
among  you  are  truly  refreshing.  Tell  dear  H.  and  the 
men  of  both  regiments  that  I  salute  them  much  in  the  Lord, 
and  make  mention  of  them  in  my  prayers.  May  I  continue 
to  hear  thus  of  their  state,  and  if  I  am  spared  to  see  them 
again,  may  we  make  it  evident  that  we  have  grown  in  grace. 
Affectionate  remembrances  to  your  sister  and  Sherwoods  ; 
I  hope  they  continue  to  prosecute  their  labours  of  love. 
Remember  me  to  the  people  of  Cawnpore  who  inquire, 
etc.  Why  have  not  I  mentioned  Col.  P.  ?  It  is  not 
because  he  is  not  in  my  heart,  for  there  is  hardly  a  man 
in  the  world  whom  I  love  and  honour  more.  My  most 
Christian  salutations  to  him. 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  445 

May  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  your 
spirit,  dearest  brother.     Yours  affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 

Martyn's  Cambridge  Persian  studies  were  continued 
for  practical  Hindustani  purposes  at  Dinapore,  in  1809, 
and  the  following  incident  unconsciously  lights  up  his 
Persian  scholarship  at  that  date.  Writing  to  the  impatient 
David  Brown  at  Aldeen,  from  Patna,  on  March  28,  he  says: 

You  chide  me  for  not  trusting  my  Hindustani  to  the 
press.  Last  week  we  began  the  correction  of  it ;  present, 
a  Sayyid  of  Delhi,  a  poet  of  Lucknow,  three  or  four 
literates  of  Patna,  and  Baba  Ali  in  the  chair ;  Sabat  and 
myself  assessors. 

I  was  amazed  and  mortified  at  observing  that  reference 
was  had  to  the  Persian  for  every  verse,  in  order  to  under- 
stand the  JFIindustani.  It  was,  however,  a  consolation  to 
find  that  from  the  Persian  they  caught  the  meaning  of  it 
instantly,  always  expressing  their  admiration  of  the  plain- 
ness of  their  translation. 

But  when  the  Persian  translation  of  the  four  Gospels 
was  printed  at  Serampore,  nearly  two  years  after,  Martyn 
himself  was  dissatisfied  with  it.  His  Cawnpore  and 
especially  Lucknow  experience  had  developed  him  in 
Persian  style,  and  led  him  to  see  that  in  Persia  itself  only 
could  the  great  work  be  done  of  translating  the  Word  of 
God  into  a  language  spoken  and  read  from  Calcutta  and 
Patna  to  Damascus  and  Tabreez. 

When  Henry  Martyn  did  the  noblest  achievement  of 
his  life,  the  production  of  the  Persian  New  Testament,  he 
unknowingly  linked  himself  with  the  greatest  of  the  Greek 
Fathers,  near  whose  dust  his  own  was  about  to  be  laid. 
Until  the  Eastern  Church  ceased  to  be  aggressive— that  is, 
missionary— Persia,  like  Central  Asia  up  to  China  itself, 


446  HENRY  MARTYN 

promised  to  be  all  Christian.  Islam,  a  corrupted  mixture 
of  Judaism  and  Christianity,  took  its  place.  Persia  sent 
a  bishop  to  the  Council  of  Nicaea  in  32J,  and  the  great 
Constantine  wrote  a  letter  to  King  Sapor,  recommending 
to  his  protection  the  Christian  Churches  in  his  empire.' 
Chrysostom  (347-407),  in  his  second  homily  on  John, 
incidentally  tells  us  that  '  the  Persians,  having  translated 
the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  into  their  own  tongue,  had 
learned,  though  barbarians,  the  true  philosophy.'  In  his 
homily  on  the  memorial  of  Mary  he  puts  the  Persians  first, 
and  our  British  forefathers  last,  in  this  remarkable  passage  : 
'  The  Persians,  the  Indians,  Scythians,  Thracians,  Sarma- 
tians,  the  race  of  the  Moors,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
British  Isles,  celebrate  a  deed  performed  in  a  private  family 
in  Judea  by  a  woman  that  had  been  a  sinner.'  The  isles 
of  Britain,  Claudius  Buchanan  well  remarks,  then  last,  are 
now  the  first  to  restore  this  memorial  to  the  Persians  as 
well  as  to  other  Mohammedan  nations.  Even  so  late  as 
1740  the  tyrant  Nadir  Shah,  inquiring  as  to  Jesus  Christ, 
asked  for  a  Persian  copy  of  the  Gospels,  and  had  presented 
to  him  the  combined  work  of  an  ignorant  Romish  priest 
and  some  Mohammedan  moollas,  which  excited  his  ridicule. 
The  traveller,  Jonas  Hanway,  tells  us  that  when  Henry 
Martyn  saw  this  production  he  exclaimed  that  he  did  not 
wonder  at  Nadir's  contempt  of  it. 

Martyn  arrived  in  Shiraz  on  June  11,  18  n  ;  in  a  week 
he  began  his  Persian  translation  of  the  New  Testament, 
and  in  February  1812  he  completed  the  happy  toil,  carried 
on  amidst  disputations  with  Soofis  and  Shi'ahs,  Jews  and 

'  Christian  Researches  in  Asia,  with  Notices  of  the  Translation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  the  Oriental  Languages,  by  the  Rev.  Claudius  Buchanan,  D.D., 
loth  edition,  London,  1814. 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  447 

Christians  of  the  Oriental  rites,  while  consumption  wasted 
his  body.  His  '  leisure  '  he  spent  in  translating  the  Hebrew 
Psalter.  Let  us  look  at  him,  in  that  South  Persian  summer 
and  winter  and  summer  again,  now  in  the  city  of  Shiraz, 
now  driven  by  the  sultry  heat  to  the  garden  of  roses  and 
orange-trees  outside  the  walls  near  the  tomb  of  Hafiz.  The 
Christian  poet  has  pictured  the  scene — Alford,  when  Dean 
of  Canterbury  in  185 1.  Twenty  years  after,  he  himself  was 
laid  in  the  churchyard  of  the  mother  church  of  England, 
St.  Martin's,  under  this  inscription — '  Diversorium  Viatoris 
Hierosolymam  Proficiscentis ' : 

HENRY  MARTYN  AT  SHIRAZ  •- 

I 

A  vision  of  the  bright  Shiraz,  of  Persian  bards  the  theme  : 
The  vine  with  bunches  laden  hangs  o'er  the  crystal  stream  ; 
The  nightingale  all  day  her  notes  in  rosy  thickets  trills, 
And  the  brooding  heat-mist  faindy  lies  along  the  distant  hills. 

II 
About  the  plain  are  scattered  wide,  in  many  a  crumbling  heap. 
The  fanes  of  other  days,  and  tombs  where  Iran's  poets  sleep  : 
And  in  the  midst,  like  burnished  gems,  in  noonday  light  repose 
The  minarets  of  bright  Shiraz — the  City  of  the  Rose. 

Ill 
One  group  beside  the  river  bank  in  rapt  discourse  are  seen. 
Where  hangs  the  golden  orange  on  its  boughs  of  purest  green  ; 
Their  words  are  sweet  and  low,  and  their  looks  are  lit  with  joy, 
Seme  holy  blessing  seems  to  rest  on  them  and  their  employ. 

IV 

The  pale-faced  Frank  among  them  sits  :  what  brought  him  from 

afar? 
Nor  bears  he  bales  of  merchandise,  nor  teaches  skill  in  war ; 
One  pearl  alone  he  brings  with  him, — the  Book  of  life  and  death ; 
One  warfare  only  teaches  he — to  fight  the  fight  of  faith. 


448  HENRY  MARTYN 

V 

And  Iran's  sons  are  round  him,  and  one  with  solemn  tone 
Tells  how  the  Lord  of  Glory  was  rejected  by  His  own  ; 
Tells,  from  the  wondrous  Gospel,  of  the  Trial  and  the  Doom, 
The  words  Divine  of  Love  and  Might — -the  Scourge,  the  Cross, 
the  Tomb. 

VI 

Far  sweeter  to  the  stranger's  ear  those  Eastern  accents  sound 
Than  music  of  the  nightingale  that  fills  the  air  around  : 
Lovelier  than  balmiest  odours  sent  from  gardens  of  the  rose, 
The  fragrance  from  the  contrite  soul  and  chastened  lip  that  flows. 


The  nightingales  have  ceased  to  sing,  the  roses'  leaves  are  shed, 
The  Frank's  pale  face  in  Tokat's  field  hath  mouldered  with  the 

dead  : 
Alone  and  all  unfriended,  midst  his  Master's  work  he  fell, 
With  none  to  bathe  his  fevered  brow,  with  none  his  tale  to  tell. 

VIII 

But  still  those  sweet  and  solemn  tones  about  him  sound  in  bliss. 
And  fragrance  from  those  flowers  of  God  for  evermore  is  his  : 
For  his  the  meed,  by  grace,  of  those  who,  rich  in  zeal  and  love. 
Turn  many  unto  righteousness,  and  shine  as  stars  above. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  Persian  New  Testament : 
To  Rev,  David  Brown 

Shiraz  :  June  24,  181 1. 
Dearest  Sir, —  I  believe  I  told  you  that  the  advanced 
state  of  the  season  rendered  it  necessary  to  go  to  Arabia 
circuitously  by  way  of  Persia.  Behold  me  therefore  in  the 
Athens  of  Pars,  the  haunt  of  the  Persian  man.  Beneath 
are  the  ashes  of  Hafiz  and  Sadij  above,  green  gardens 
and  running  waters,  roses  and  nightingales.  Does  Mr.  Bird 
envy  my  lot .-'  Let  him  solace  himself  with  Aldcen.  How 
gladly  would   I  give  him  Shiraz  for   Aldcen  ;    how   often 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  449 

while  toiling  through  this  miserable  country  have  I  sighed 
for  Aldeen  !  If  I  am  ever  permitted  to  see  India  again 
nothing  but  dire  necessity,  or  the  imperious  call  of  duty, 
will  ever  induce  me  to  travel  again.  One  thing  is  good 
here,  the  fruit;  we  have  apples  and  apricots,  plums, 
nectarines,  greengages  and  cherries,  all  of  which  are  served 
up  with  ice  and  snow.  When  I  have  said  this  for  Shiraz 
I  have  said  all. 

But  to  have  done  with  what  grows  out  of  the  soil,  let 
us  come  to  the  men.  The  Persians  are,  like  ourselves, 
immortal  ;  their  language  had  passed  a  long  way  beyond 
the  limits  of  Iran.  The  men  of  Shiraz  propose  to  translate 
the  New  Testament  with  me.  Can  I  refuse  to  stay  .-• 
After  much  deliberation  I  have  determined  to  remain  here 
six  months.  It  is  sorely  against  my  will,  but  I  feel  it  to 
be  a  duty.  From  all  that  I  can  collect  there  appears  no 
probability  of  our  ever  having  a  good  translation  made  out 
of  Persia.  At  Bombay  I  showed  Moolla  Firoz,  the  most 
learned  man  there,  the  three  Persian  translations,  viz.  the 
Polyglot,  and  Sabat's  two.  He  disapproved  of  them  all. 
At  Bushire,  which  is  in  Persia,  the  man  of  the  greatest 
name  was  Sayyid  Hosein.  Of  the  three  he  liked  Sabat's 
Persian  best,  but  said  it  seemed  written  by  an  Indian.  On 
my  arrival  at  this  place  I  produced  my  specimens  once 
more.  Sabat's  Persian  was  much  ridiculed  ;  sarcastic  re- 
marks were  made  on  the  fondness  for  fine  words  so 
remarkable  in  the  Indians,  who  seemed  to  think  that  hard 
words  made  fine  writing.  His  Persic  also  was  presently 
thrown  aside,  and  to  my  no  small  surprise  the  old  despised 
Polyglot  was  not  only  spoken  of  as  superior  to  the  rest, 
but  it  was  asked,  What  fault  is  found  in  this? — this  is  the 
language  we  speak.  The  king  has  also  signified  that  it  is 
his  wish  that  as  little  Arabic  as  possible  may  be  employed 
in  the  papers  presented  to  him.  So  that  simple  Persian  is 
likely  to  become  more  and  more  fashionable.  This  is  a 
change  favourable  certainly  to  our  glorious  cause.     To  the 

GG 


450  HENRY  MARTYN 

poor  the  Gospel  will  be  preached.  We  began  our  work 
with  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  and  five  chapters  are  put  out 
of  hand.  It  is  likely  to  be  the  simplest  thing  imaginable  ; 
and  I  dare  say  the  pedantic  Arab  will  turn  up  his  nose  at 
it  ;  but  what  the  men  of  Shiraz  approve  who  can  gainsay  ? 
Let  Sabat  confine  himself  to  the  Arabic,  and  he  will 
accomplish  a  great  work.  The  forementioned  Sayyid 
Hosein  of  Bushire  is  an  Arab.  I  showed  him  Erpenius's 
Arabic  Testament,  the  Christian  Knowledge  Society,  Sabat's, 
ar.d  the  Polyglot.  After  rejecting  all  but  Sabat's,  he  said 
this  is  good,  very  good,  and  then  read  off  the  5th  of 
Matthew  in  a  fine  style,  giving  it  unqualified  commendation 
as  he  went  along.  On  my  proposing  to  him  to  give  a 
specimen  of  what  he  thought  the  best  Persian  style,  he 
consented  ;  but,  said  he,  give  me  this  to  translate  from, 
laying  his  hand  on  Sabat's  Arabic.  At  Muscat  an  Arab 
officer  who  had  attended  us  as  guard  and  guide  one  day 
when  we  walked  into  the  country,  came  on  board  with  his 
slave  to  take  leave  of  us.  The  slave,  who  had  argued  with 
me  very  strenuously  in  favour  of  his  religion,  reminded  me 
of  a  promise  I  had  made  him  of  giving  him  the  Gospel. 
On  my  producing  an  Arabic  New  Testament,  he  seized  it 
and  began  to  read  away  upon  deck,  but  presently  stopped, 
and  said  it  was  not  fine  Arabic.  However,  he  carried  off 
the  book. 

In  eight  months  the  Persian  translation  of  the  New 
Testament  was  done.  The  Journal,  during  that  period, 
from  July  181 1  to  February  18 12,  as  the  sacred  task  went 
on,  reveals  the  Holy  Spirit  moving  the  hearts  of  the 
translator's  Mohammedan  assistant  and  Soofi  disputants  by 
*  the  things  of  Christ,'  while  it  shows  His  servant  bearing 
witness,  by  the  account  of  his  own  conversion,  to  His  power 
to  save  and  to  make  holy. 

December  12. — Letters  at  last  from  India.    Mirza  Sayyid 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  a^\ 

AH  was  curious  to  know  in  what  way  we  corresponded, 
and  made  me  read  Mr.  Brown's  letter  to  me,  and  mine  to 
Corrie.  He  took  care  to  let  his  friends  know  that  we 
wrote  nothing  about  our  own  affairs :  it  was  all  about 
translations  and  the  cause  of  Christ.  With  this  he  was 
delighted. 

December  i6. — In  translating  2  Cor.  i.  22,  *  Who  hath 
given  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts,'  he  was  much 
struck  when  it  was  explained  to  him.  '  Oh,  that  I  had  it,' 
said  he  ;  'have  you  received  it .-' '  I  told  him  that,  as  I  had 
no  doubt  of  my  acceptance  through  Christ,  I  concluded  that 
I  had.  Once  before,  on  the  words,  '  Who  are  saved  ? '  he 
expressed  his  surprise  at  the  confidence  with  which  Chris- 
tians spoke  of  salvation.  On  i  Cor.  xv.  he  observed, 
that  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body  was  un- 
reasonable ;  but  that  as  the  Mohammedans  understood  / 
it,  it  was  impossible  ;  on  which  account  the  Soofis  rejected 
it. 

Cliristmas  Day. — I  made  a  great  feast  for  the  Russians 
and  Armenians  ;  and,  at  Jafhr  Ali  Khan's  request,  invited 
the  Soofi  master,  with  his  disciples.  I  hoped  there  would 
be  some  conversation  on  the  occasion  of  our  meeting,  and, 
indeed,  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  did  make  some  attempts,  and  ex- 
plained to  the  old  man  the  meaning  of  the  Lord's  Supper ; 
but  the  sage  maintaining  his  usual  silence,  the  subject  was 
dropped.  I  expressed  my  satisfaction  at  seeing  them  as- 
sembled on  such  an  occasion,  and  my  hope  that  they  would 
remember  the  day  in  succeeding  years,  and  that  though 
they  would  never  see  me  again  in  the  succeeding  years, 
they  would  not  forget  that  I  had  brought  them  the  Gospel. 
The  old  man  coldly  replied  that  '  God  would  guide  those 
whom  He  chose.'  Most  of  the  time  they  continued  was 
before  dinner ;  the  moment  that  was  despatched,  they  rose 
and  went  away.  The  custom  is,  to  sit  five  or  six  hours 
before  dinner,  and  at  great  men's  houses  singers  attend. 

December  31. — The  accounts  of  the  desolations  of  war 

G  G  3 


452  HENRY  MARTYN 

during  the  last  year,  which  I  have  been  reading  in  some 
Indian  newspapers,  make  the  world  appear  more  gloomy 
than  ever.  How  many  souls  hurried  into  eternity  unpre- 
pared !  How  many  thousands  of  widows  and  orphans  left 
to  mourn  !  But  admire,  my  soul,  the  matchless  power  of 
God,  that  out  of  this  ruin  He  has  prepared  for  Himself  an 
inheritance.  At  last  the  scene  shall  change,  and  I  shall 
find  myself  in  a  world  where  all  is  love. 

1 812.  — The  last  has  been  in  some  respects  a  memorable 

year.     I  have  been  led,  by  what  I  have  reason  to  consider 

as  the  particular  providence  of  God,  to  this  place  ;  and  have 

undertaken  an  important  work,  which  has  gone  on  without 

material  interruption,  and  is  now  nearly  finished.      I  like  to 

find  myself  employed  usefully,  in  a  way  I  did  not  expect 

or   foresee,  especially  if  my  own  will    is    in   any  degree 

crossed     by    the    work     unexpectedly    assigned    me,    as 

there  is  then  reason  to  believe  that  God  is  acting.     The 

present  year  will  probably  be  a  perilous  one,  but  my  life  is 

of  little  consequence,  whether   I  live  to  finish  the  Persian 

New  Testament  or  do  not.      I  look  back  with  pity  and 

shame  upon  my  former  self,  and  on  the  importance  I  then 

attached  to  my  life  and  labours.     The  more  I  see  of  my 

own  works  the  more  I  am  ashamed  of  them.     Coarseness 

/and  clumsiness  mar  all  the  works  of  man.     I  am  sick  when 

\l  look  at  man  and  his  wisdom   and  his  doings,  and  am 

/relieved    only  by  reflecting    that   we   have   a   city  whose 

(  builder  and  maker  is  God.     The  least  of  His  works  it  is 

I  refreshing  to  look  at.     A  dried  leaf  or  a  straw  makes  me 

vfcel  myself  in  good  company  :  complacency  and  admiration 

take  place  of  disgust. 

I  compared  with  pain  our  Persian  translation  with  the 
original ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  precision  and  elegance  of 
the  sacred  text,  its  perspicuity  is  that  which  sets  at  defiance 
all  attempts  to  equal  it. 

January  16. —  Mirza  Sayyid  AH  told  me  accidentally 
to-day  of  a   distich  made  by  his  friend  Mirza  Koochut, 


IN  PERSIA  -TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  453 

at  Teheran,  in  honour  of  a  victory  gained  by  Prince  Abbas 
Mirza  over  the  Russians.  The  sentiment  was,  that  he  had 
killed  so  many  of  the  Christians,  that  Christ,  from  the 
fourth  heaven,  took  hold  of  Mahomet's  skirt  to  entreat 
him  to  desist.  I  was  cut  to  the  soul  at  this  blasphemy. 
In  prayer  I  could  think  of  nothing  else  but  that  great  day 
when  the  Son  of  God  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  con- 
vincing men  of  all  their  hard  speeches  which  they  have 
spoken  against  Him. 

Mirza  Sayyid  AH  perceived  that  I  was  considerably 
disordered,  and  was  sorry  for  having  repeated  the  verse, 
but  asked  what  it  was  that  was  so  offensive.  I  told  him 
that  '  I  could  not  endure  existence  if  Jesus  was  not 
glorified  ;  it  would  be  hell  to  me  if  He  were  to  be  always 
thus  dishonoured.'  He  was  astonished,  and  again  asked 
why.  '  If  anyone  pluck  out  your  eyes,'  I  replied,  '  there  is 
no  saying  why  you  feel  pain  ;  it  is  feeling.  It  is  because  I 
am  one  with  Christ  that  I  am  thus  dreadfully  wounded.' 
On  his  again  apologising,  I  told  hfm  that  '  I  rejoiced  at  what 
had  happened,  inasmuch  as  it  made  me  feel  nearer  the  Lord 
than  ever.  It  is  when  the  head  or  heart  is  struck,  that 
every  member  feels  its  membership.'  This  conversation 
took  place  while  we  were  translating.  In  the  evening  he 
mentioned  the  circumstance  of  a  young  man's  being  mur- 
dered—a  fine  athletic  youth,  whom  I  had  often  seen  in  the 
garden.  Some  acquaintance  of  his  in  a  slight  quarrel  had 
plunged  a  dagger  in  his  breast.  Observing  me  look 
sorrowful,  he  asked  why.  '  Because,'  said  I,  'he  was  cut  off 
in  his  sins,  and  had  no  time  to  repent.'  '  It  was  just  in  that 
way,'  said  he,  '  that  I  should  like  to  die  ;  not  dragging  out 
a  miserable  existence  on  a  sick-bed,  but  transported  at  once 
into  another  state.'  I  observed  that  '  it  was  not  desirable 
to  be  hurried  into  the  immediate  presence  .of  God.'  '  Do 
you  think,'  said  he, 'that  there  is  any  difference  in  the 
presence  of  God  here  or  there  ?  *     '  Indeed  I  do,'  said  I. 


454  HENRY  MARTY N 

'  Here  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly  ;  but  there,  face  to 
>face.'     He  then  entered  into  some  metaphysical  Soofi  dis- 
putation about  the  identity  of  sin  and  holiness,  heaven  and 
hell :  to  all  which  I  made  no  reply. 

January  i8. — Aga  Ali  of  Media  came:  and  with  him 
and  Mirza  Ali  I  had  a  long  and  warm  discussion  about  the 
essentials  of  Christianity.  The  Mede,  seeing  us  at  work 
upon  the  Epistles,  said,  'he  should  be  glad  to  read  them ;  as 
for  the  Gospels  they  were  nothing  but  tales,  which  were  of 
no  use  to  him  ;  for  instance,'  said  he,  '  if  Christ  raised  four 
hundred  dead  to  life,  what  is  that  to  me .? '  I  said,  '  it 
certainly  was  of  importance,  for  His  work  furnished  a  reason 
for  our  depending  upon  His  words.'  '  What  did  He  say,' 
asked  he,  *  that  was  not  known  before .-'  the  love  of  God, 
humility—  who  does  not  know  these  things  ?  '  '  Were  these 
things,'  said  I,  '  known  before  Christ,  either  among  Greeks 
or  Romans,  with  all  their  philosophy  .-' '  They  avowed  that 
the  Hindu  hook  Juh  contained  precepts  of  this  kind.  I 
questioned  its  antiquity  ;  '  but  however  that  may  be,'  I 
added,  '  Christ  came  not  to  teach  so  much  as  to  die ;  the 
truths  I  spoke  of  as  confirmed  by  His  miracles  were  those 
relating  to  His  person,  such  as,  "  Come  unto  Me,  all  ye  that 
labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."  Here 
Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  told  him  that  I  had  professed  to  have  no 
doubt  of  my  salvation.  He  asked  what  I  meant.  I  told 
him,  '  that  though  sin  still  remained,  I  was  assured  that  it 
should  not  regain  dominion  ;  and  that  I  should  never  come 
into  condemnation,  but  was  accepted  in  the  Beloved.'  Not 
a  little  surprised,  he  asked  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  whether  he  com- 
prehended this.  'No,'  said  he,  'nor  Mirza  Ibrahim,  to 
whom  I  mentioned  it'  The  Mede  again  turning  to  me 
asked,  '  How  do  you  know  this  .''  how  do  you  know  you 
have  experienced  the  second  birth?'  'Because,'  said  I, 
'  we  have  the-  Spirit  of  the  Father  ;  what  He  wishes  wc 
wish  ;  what  He  hates  we  hate.'  Here  he  began  to  be 
a  little  more  calm  and  less  contentious,  and   mildly  asked 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING   THE  SCRIPTURES  455 

how  I  had  obtained  this  peace  of  mind  :  '  Was  it  merely 
these  books  ?  '  said  he,  taking  up  some  of  our  sheets.  I  told 
him, '  These  books,  with  prayer,'  'What  was  the  beginning 
of  it,'  said  he, '  the  society  of  some  friends  ? '  I  related  to  him 
my  religious  history,  the  substance  of  which  was,  that  I  took 
my  Bible  before  God  in  prayer,  and  prayed  for  forgiveness 
through  Christ,  assurance  of  it  through  His  Spirit,  and  grace 
to  obey  His  commandments.  They  then  both  asked  whether 
the  same  benefit  would  be  conferred  on  them.  '  Yes,'  said 
I,  '  for  so  the  Apostles  preached,  that  all  who  were  baptized 
in  His  name  should  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.' 
'  Can  you  assure  me,'  said  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali, '  that  the  Spirit 
will  be  given  to  me  ?  if  so,  I  will  be  baptized  immediately.' 
'  Who  am  I  that  I  should  be  surety  ? '  I  replied  ;  '  I  bring 
you  this  message  from  God,  that  he  who,  despairing  of 
himself,  rests  for  righteousness  on  the  Son  of  God,  shall 
receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  and  to  this  I  can  add 
my  testimony,  if  that  be  worth  anything,  that  I  have  found 
the  promise  fulfilled  in  myself  But  if  after  baptism  you 
should  not  find  it  so  in  you,  accuse  not  the  Gospel  of  false- 
hood. It  is  possible  that  your  faith  might  not  be  sincere  ; 
indeed,  so  fully  am  I  persuaded  that  you  do  not  believe  on 
the  Son  of  God,  that  if  you  were  to  entreat  ever  so  earnestly 
for  baptism  I  should  not  dare  to  administer  it  at  this 
time,  when  you  have  shown  so  many  signs  of  an  unhumbled 
heart'  '  What !  would  you  have  me  believe,'  said  he,  *  as 
a  child  ? '  '  Yes,'  said  I,  '  True,'  said  he,  '  I  think  that  is 
the  only  way.'  Aga  Ali  said  no  more,  except,  '  Certainly 
he  is  a  good  man  ! ' 

January  23. — Put  on  my  English  dress,  and   went  to 
the  Vizier's,  to  see  part  of  the  tragedy  of  Husain's  death,'  *• 

which  they  contrive  to  spin  out  so  as  to  make  it  last  the 
first  ten  days  of  the  Mohurrum.  All  the  apparatus  con- 
sisted   of   a    iew    boards    for    a   stage,    two    tables    and 

'  See    The  Miracle   Play  of  Hasan   attd  Husain,  collected   from    Oral 
Tradition,  by  Sir  Lewis  Pelly,  two  vols.  1879. 


456  HENRY  MARTYN 

a  pulpit,  under  an  immense  awning,  in  the  court  where 
the  company  were  assembled.  The  dramatis  person(2 
were  two  ;  the  daughter  of  Husain,  whose  part  was  per- 
formed by  a  boy,  and  a  messenger  ;  they  both  read  their 
parts.  Every  now  and  then  loud  sobs  were  heard  all  over 
the  court.  After  this  several  feats  of  activity  were 
exhibited  ;  the  Vizier  sat  with  the  mooUas.  I  was  ap- 
pointed to  a  seat  where  indeed  I  saw  as  much  as  I  wanted, 
but  which,  I  afterwards  perceived,  was  not  the  place  of 
honour.  As  I  trust  I  am  far  enough  from  desiring  the 
chief  seats  in  the  synagogues,  there  was  nothing  in  this 
that  could  offend  me  ;  but  I  do  not  think  it  right  to  let 
him  have  another  opportunity  of  showing  a  slight  to  my 
country  in  my  person. 

Ja}iuary  24. — Found  Sayyid  Ali  rather  serious  this  even- 
ing. He  said  he  did  not  know  what  to  do  to  have  his 
mind  made  up  about  religion.  Of  all  the  religions  Christ's 
was  the  best ;  but  whether  to  prefer  this  to  Soofi-ism  he 
could  not  tell.  In  these  doubts  he  is  tossed  to  and  fro,  and 
is  often  kept  awake  the  whole  night  in  tears.  He  and  his 
brother  talk  together  on  these  things  till  they  are  almost 
crazed.  Before  he  was  engaged  in  this  work  of  translation, 
he  says  he  used  to  read  about  two  or  three  hours  a  day, 
now  he  can  do  nothing  else  ;  has  no  inclination  for  any- 
thing else,  and  feels  unhappy  if  he  does  not  correct  his  daily 
portion.  His  late  employment  has  given  a  new  turn  to  his 
thoughts  as  well  as  to  those  of  his  friends  ;  they  had  not 
the  most  distant  conception  of  the  contents  of  the  New 
Testament.  He  says  his  Soofi  friends  are  exceedingly 
anxious  to  see  the  Epistles,  from  the  accounts  he  gives  of 
them,  and  also  he  is  sure  that  almost  the  whole  of  Shiraz 
are  so  sensible  of  the  load  of  unmeaning  ceremonies  in 
which  their  religion  consists,  that  they  will  rejoice  to  see 
or  hear  of  anything  like  freedom,  and  that  they  would  be 
more  willing  to  embrace  Christ  than  the  Soofis,  who,  after 
taking  so  much  pains  to  be  independent  of  all  law,  would 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  457 

think  it  degrading  to  submit  themselves  to  any  law  again, 
however  light. 

February  2. — From  what  I  suffer  in  this  city,  I  can 
understand  the  feelings  of  Lot.  The  face  of  the  poor 
Russian  appears  to  me  like  the  face  of  an  angel,  because 
he  does  not  tell  lies.  Heaven  will  be  heaven  because 
there  will  not  be  one  liar  there.  The  Word  of  God  is  more 
precious  to  me  at  this  time  than  I  ever  remember  it  to  have 
been  ;  and  of  all  the  promises  in  it,  none  is  more  sweet  to 
me  than  this — '  He  shall  reign  till  He  hath  put  all  enemies 
under  His  feet.' 

February  3. — A  packet  arrived  from  India  without  a 
single  letter  for  me.  It  was  some  disappointment  to  me  : 
but  let  me  be  satisfied  with  my  God,  and  if  I  cannot  have 
the  comfort  of  hearing  from  my  friends,  let  me  return  with 
thankfulness  to  His  Word,  which  is  a  treasure  of  which 
none  envy  me  the  possession,  and  where  I  can  find  what 
will  more  than  compensate  for  the  loss  of  earthly  enjoy- 
ments. Resignation  to  the  will  of  God  is  a  lesson  which  I 
must  learn,  and  which  I  trust  He  is  teaching  me. 

February  9. — Aga  Boozong  came.  After  much  con- 
versation, he  said,  '  Prove  to  me,  from  the  beginning,  that 
Christianity  is  the  way  :  how  will  you  proceed  ?  what  do 
you  say  must  be  done?'  'If  you  would  not  believe  a 
person  who  wrought  a  miracle  before  you,'  said  I,  '  I  have 
nothing  to  say  ;  I  cannot  proceed  a  step.'  '  I  will  grant 
you,'  said  Sayyid  Ali,  '  that  Christ  was  the  Son  of  God,  and 
more  than  that'  '  That  you  despair  of  yourself,  and  are 
willing  to  trust  in  Him  alone  for  salvation.'"  'Yes.'  'And 
are  ready  to  confess  Christ  before  men,  and  act  conformably 
to  His  Word?'  'Yes  :  what  else  must  I  do? '  'Be  baptized 
in  the  name  of  Christ'  '  And  what  shall  I  gain  ?  '  '  The 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  The  end  of  faith  is  salvation  in 
the  world  to  come  ;  but  even  here  you  shall  have  the 
Spirit  to  purify  your  heart,  and  to  give  you  the  assurance 
of  everlasting   happiness.'      Thus   Aga    Boozong  had  an 


458  HENRY  MARTYN 

opportunity  of  hearing  those  strange  things  from  my  own 
mouth,  of  which  he  had  been  told  by  his  disciple  the  Mede. 

*  You  can  say  too,'  said  he,  '  that  you  have  received  the 
Spirit  ?'  I  told  them  I  believed  I  had;  'for,  notwithstanding 
all  my  sins,  the  bent  of  my  heart  was  to  God  in  a  way  it 
never  was  before  ;  and  that,  according  to  my  present  feeling, 
I  could  not  be  happy  if  God  was  not  glorified,  and  if  I  had 
not  the  enjoyment  of  His  presence,  for  which  I  felt  that  I 
was  now  educating.'     Aga  Boozong  shed  tears. 

After  this  came  Aga  Ali,  the  Mede,  to  hear,  as  he  said, 
some  of  the  sentences  of  Paul.  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  had 
told  them,  '  that  if  they  had  read  nothing  but  the  Gospels, 
they  knew  nothing  of  the  religion  of  Christ.'  The  sheet  I 
happened  to  have  by  me  was  the  one  containing  the  fourth, 
fifth,  and  sixth  chapters  of  the  Second  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,  which  Aga  Ali  read  out. 

At  this  time  the  company  had  increased  considerably. 
I  desired  Aga  Ali  to  notice  particularly  the  latter  part  of 
,  the  fifth  chapter,  '  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world 
/  unto  Himself.'     He  then  read  it  a  second  time,  but  they 
^aw  not  its  glory  ;  however,  they  spoke  in  high   terms  of 
the  pith  and  solidity  of  Paul's  sentences.     They  were  evi- 
dently on  the  watch  for  anything  that  tallied  with  their 
own   sentiments.      Upon    the    passage,    '  Always   bearing 
about  in  the  body  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus,'  the  Mede 
observed,  '  Do  you  not  see  that  Jesus  was  in  Paul,  and  that 
Paul  was  only  another  name  for  Jesus  ? '     And   the  text, 
Whether  we  be  beside  ourselves,  it  is  to  God  ;  and  whether 
we  be  sober,  it  is  for  your  sakes,'  they  interpreted  thus  : 

*  We  are  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  God,  and  when 
we  recover,  it  is  to  instruct  you.' 

Walking  afterwards  with  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali,  he  told  me 
how  much  one  of  my  remarks  had  affected  him,  namely, 
that  he  had  no  humility.  He  had  been  talking  about 
simplicity   and    humility  as   characteristic  of  the    Soofis. 

*  Humility  1 '  I  said  to  him,  '  if  you  were  humble,  you  would 


IN  PERSIA— TRANSLATING    THE  SCRIPTURES  459 

not  dispute  in  this  manner  ;  you   would  be  like  a  child.' 
He  did  not  open  his  mouth  afterwards,  but  to  say,  '  True  ; 
I    have   no   humility.'     In    evident    distress,   he    observe^, 
'  The  truth  is,  we  are  in  a  state  of  compound  ignorance — /  >^ 
ignorant,  yet  ignorant  of  our  ignorance.' 

February  18, — While  walking  in  the  garden,  in  some 
disorder  from  vexation,  two  Mussulman  Jews  came  up  and 
asked  me  what  would  become  of  them  in  another  world. 
The  Mahometans  were  right  in  their  way,  they  supposed, 
and  we  in  ours,  but  what  must  they  expect?  After 
rectifying  their  mistake  as  to  the  Mahometans,  I  mentioned 
two  or  three  reasons  for  believing  that  we  are  right :  such 
as  their  dispersion,  and  the  cessation  of  sacrifices  imme- 
diately on  the  appearance  of  Jesus.  '  True,  true,'  they  said, 
with  great  feeling  and  seriousness  ;  indeed,  they  seemed 
disposed  to  yield  assent  to  anything  I  said.  They  confessed 
they  had  become  Mahometans  only  on  compulsion,  and 
that  Abdoolghuni  wished  to  go  to  Baghdad,  thinking  he 
might  throw  off  the  mask  there  with  safety,  but  they 
asked  what  I  thought.  I  said  that  the  Governor  was  a 
Mahometan.  '  Did  I  think  Syria  safer  ?  '  '  The  safest 
place  in  the  East,'  I  said,  'was  India.'  Feelings  of  pity  for 
God's  ancient  people,  and  having  the  awful  importance  of 
eternal  things  impressed  on  my  mind  by  the  seriousness 
of  their  inquiries  as  to  what  would  become  of  them,  relieved 
me  from  the  pressure  of  my  comparatively  insignificant 
distresses.  I,  a  poor  Gentile,  blest,  honoured,  and  loved  ;"^ 
secured  for  ever  by  the  everlasting  covenant,  whilst  the  ' 
children  of  the  kingdom  are  still  lying  in  outer  darkness  !^ 
Well  does  it  become  me  to  be  thankful  ! 

This  is  my  birthday,  on  which  I  complete  my  thirty- 
first  year.  The  Persian  New  Testament  has  been  begun, 
and  I  may  say  finished  in  it,  as  only  the  last  eight  chapters 
of  the  Revelation  remain.  Such  a  painful  year  I  never 
passed,  owing  to  the  privations  I  have  been  called  to  on 
the   one   hand,   and    the  spectacle    before  me  of  human 


46o  HENRY  MARTYN 

depravity  on  the  other.     But  I  hope  that  I  have  not  come 
'  to  this  seat  of  Satan  in  vain.     The  Word  of  God  has  found 
its  way  into  Persia,  and  it  is  not  in  Satan's  power  to  oppose 
its  progress  if  the  Lord  hath  sent  it. 

A  week  after,  on  February  24,  1812,  Henry  Martyn 
corrected  the  last  page  of  the  New  Testament  in  Persian. 
As  we  read  his  words  of  thanksgiving  to  the  Lord  and  his 
invocation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  already  darkening 
light  of  his  approaching  end,  before  the  beatific  vision  pro- 
mised by  the  Master  to  the  pure  in  heart,  and  the  blessed 
companionship  with  Himself  guaranteed  to  every  true 
servant,  we  recall  the  Scottish  Columba,  whose  last  act 
was  to  transcribe  the  eleventh  verse  of  the  thirty-fourth 
Psalm,  and  the  English  Bede,  who  died  when  translating 
the  ninth  verse  of  the  sixth  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel. 

I  have  many  mercies  for  which  to  thank  the  Lord,  and 
this  is  not  the  least.  Now  may  that  Spirit  who  gave  the 
Word,  and  called  me,  I  trust,  to  be  an  interpreter  of  it, 
graciously  and  powerfully  apply  it  to  the  hearts  of  sinners, 
even  to  the  gathering  an  elect  people  from  amongst  the 
long-estranged  Persians ! 


46 1 


CHAPTER   XII 

SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ — THE   PERSIAN    NEW   TESTAMENT 

The  next  three  months  were  spent,  still  in  Shiraz,  in  the 
preparation  of  copies  of  the  precious  Persian  MS.  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  in  very  close  spiritual  intercourse 
with  the  company  of  inquirers  whom  neither  fanaticism, 
conceit,  nor,  in  some  cases,  a  previously  immoral  life,  had 
prevented  from  reverencing  the  teaching  of  the  man  of 
God.  Jafifir  Ali  Khan's  garden  became  to  such  a  holy  place, 
as  the  Persian  spring  passed  into  the  heat  of  summer. 
There  the  privileged  translator,  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali ;  Aga  Baba, 
the  Mede  ;  Aga  Boozong,  vizier  of  Prince  Abbas  Mirza,  and 
'  most  magisterial  of  the  Soofis ; '  Mirza  Ibrahim,  the 
controversialist  leader ;  Sheikh  Abulhassan,  and  many  a 
moolla  to  whom  he  testified  that  Christ  was  the  Creator 
and  Saviour,  gathered  round  him  as  he  read,  'at  their 
request,'  the  Old  Testament  histories.  '  Their  attention 
to  the  Word,  and  their  love  and  attention  to  me,  seemed 
to  increase  as  the  time  of  my  departure  approached. 
Aga  Baba,  who  had  been  reading  St.  Matthew,  related 
very  circumstantially  to  the  company  the  particulars  of 
the  death  of  Christ.  The  bed  of  roses  on  which  we  sat, 
and  the  notes  of  the  nightingales  warbling  around  us,  were 
not  so  sweet  to  me  as  this  discourse  from  the  Persian.' 

Telling  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  one  day  that  I  wished  to  return 


462  HENRY  MARTYN 

to  the  city  in  the  evening,  to  be  alone  and  at  leisure  for 
prayer,  he  said  with  seriousness,  '  Though  a  man  had  no 
other  religious  society  I  suppose  he  might,  with  the  aid  of 
the  Bible,  live  alone  with  God  ?  '  This  solitude  will,  in  one 
respect,  be  his  own  state  soon  ; — may  he  find  it  the  medium 
of  God's  gracious  communications  to  his  soul  !  He  asked 
in  what  way  God  ought  to  be  addressed  :  I  told  him  as  a 
Father,  with  respectful  love  ;  and  added  some  other  exhor- 
tations on  the  subject  of  prayer. 

May  II. — Aga  Baba  came  to  bid  me  farewell,  which 
he  did  in  the  best  and  most  solemn  way,  by  asking,  as  a 
final  question,  '  w^hether,  independently  of  external  evi- 
dences, I  had  any  internal  proofs  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  ? ' 
I  answered,  '  Yes,  undoubtedly  :  the  change  from  what  I 
once  was  is  a  sufficient  evidence  to  me.'  At  last  he  took 
his  leave,  in  great  sorrow,  and  what  is  better,  apparently  in 
great  solicitude  about  his  soul. 

The  rest  of  the  day  I  continued  with  Mirza  Sayyid  AH, 
giving  him  instructions  what  to  do  with  the  New  Testament 
in  case  of  my  decease,  and  exhorting  him,  as  far  as  his 
confession  allowed  me,  to  stand  fast.  He  had  made  many 
a  good  resolution  respecting  his  besetting  sins.  I  hope, 
as  well  as  pray,  that  some  lasting  effects  may  be  seen  at 
Shiraz  from  the  Word  of  God  left  among  them. 

For  the  Shah  and  for  the  heir-apparent,  Prince  Abbas 
Mirza,  two  copies  of  the  Persian  New  Testament  were 
specially  written  out  in  the  perfect  caligraphy  which  the 
Persians  love,  and  carefully  corrected  with  the  translator's 
own  hand.  That  he  might  himself  present  them,  especially 
the  former,  he  left  Shiraz  on  May  ii,  1812,  after  a  year's 
residence  in  the  country.  The  whole  length  of  the  great 
Persian  plateau  had  to  be  traversed,  by  Ispahan  to  Teheran, 
thence  to  the  royal  camp  at  Sultania,  and  finally  to  Tabreez, 
where  was  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  the  British  ambassador,  through 


SHIRAZ   TO    TABREEZ  463 

whom  alone  the  English  man  of  God  could  be  introduced  to 
the  royal  presence.  He  was  accompanied  by  Mr,  Canning, 
an  English  clergyman. 

The  journey  occupied  eight  weeks,  and  proved  to  be 
one  of  extreme  hardship,  which  rapidly  developed  Henry 
Martyn's  disease.  At  one  time  his  life  was  in  danger,  in 
spite  of  the  letters  which  he  carried  from  General  Malcolm's 
friend,  and  now  his  own,  Jaffir  Ali  Khan,  to  the  Persian 
prime  minister  at  Teheran.  Mrs.  Bishop's  experience  of 
travel  by  the  same  road  ^  at  a  more  favourable  season,  over 
the  '  great  mud  land  '  to  which  centuries  of  misrule  have 
changed  the  populous  paradise  of  Darius,  enables  us  to 
imagine  what  the  brief  record  of  the  Journal  only  half 
reveals  seventy  years  ago.  The  old  village  which 
the  founder  of  the  Kajar  dynasty  enlarged  into  Teheran, 
straggles  within  eleven  miles  of  walls  in  the  most  de- 
pressed part  of  an  uninteresting  waste.  Save  for  the 
exterior  of  the  Shah's  palace,  and  those  of  some  of  his 
ministers,  the  suburb  with  the  European  legations,  and 
now  the  large  and  handsome  buildings  of  the  American 
Presbyterian  Mission,  it  is  unworthy  of  being  a  capital 
city.  Eager  to  present  the  sacred  volume  while  life  was 
left  to  him,  Henry  Martyn  hurried  away  to  find  Mirza 
Shufi,  the  premier,  and  the  Shah,  who  were  in  camp  a 
night's  journey  off  at  Karach. 

May  13. — Remained  all  day  at  the  caravanserai,  cor- 
recting the  Prince's  copy. 

May  14. — Continued  our  journey  through  two  ridges 
of  mountains  to  Imanzadu  :  no  cultivation  to  be  seen  any- 
where, nor  scarcely  any  natural  vegetable  production,  except 

'  Journeys  in  Persia  and  Kurdistan,  Ss'c.y  by  Mrs.  Bishop  (Isabella  C 
Bird),  two  vols.,  John  Murray,  1891. 


464  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  broom  and  hawthorn.  The  weather  was  rather  tem- 
1  estuous,  with  cold  gusts  of  wind  and  rain.  We  were 
visited  by  people  who  came  to  be  cured  of  their  dis- 
tempers. 

May  1 6. — We  found  a  hoar  frost,  and  ice  on  the 
pools.  The  excessive  cold  at  this  place  is  accounted  for 
by  its  being  the  highest  land  between  the  Persian  Gulf  and 
the  Caspian  Sea.  The  baggage  not  having  come  up,  we 
were  obliged  to  pass  another  day  in  this  uncomfortable 
neighbourhood,  where  nothing  was  to  be  procured  for  our- 
selves or  our  horses,  the  scarcity  of  rain  this  year  having 
left  the  ground  destitute  of  verdure,  and  the  poor  people  of 
the  village  near  us  having  nothing  to  sell. 

May  21. — Finished  the  revision  of  the  Prince's  copy. 
At  eleven  at  night  we  started  for  Ispahan,  where  we 
arrived  soon  after  sunrise  on  the  22nd,  and  were  accom- 
modated in  one  of  the  king's  palaces.  Found  my  old 
Shiraz  scribe  here,  and  corrected  with  him  the  Prince's 
copy. 

May  23. — Called  on  the  Armenian  bishops  at  Julfa, 
and  met  Matteus.  He  is  certainly  vastly  superior  to  any 
Armenian  I  have  yet  seen.  We  next  went  to  the  Italian 
missionary,  Joseph  Carabiciate,  a  native  of  Aleppo,  but 
educated  at  Rome.  He  spoke  Latin  very  sprightly,  con- 
sidering his  age,  which  was  sixty-six,  but  discovered  no 
sort  of  inclination  to  talk  about  religion.  Until  lately  he 
had  been  supported  by  the  Propaganda  ;  but  weary  at  last 
of  exercising  his  functions  without  remuneration,  and  even 
without  the  necessary  provision,  he  talked  of  returning  to 
Aleppo. 

May  24.  (Sunday.)— Went  early  this  morning  to  the 
Armenian  church  attached  to  the  episcopal  residence. 
Within  the  rails  were  two  out  of  the  four  bishops,  and 
other  ecclesiastics,  but  in  the  body  of  the  church  only 
three  people.  Most  of  the  Armenians  at  Julfa,  which  is 
now  reduced  to  five  hundred  houses,  attended  at  their  re- 


SHIR  A  Z   TO    TABREEZ  465 

spective  parish  churches,  of  which  there  are  twelve,  served 
by  twenty  priests.  After  their  pageantry  was  over,  and  we 
were  satisfied  with  processions,  ringing  of  bells,  waving  of  '^ 
colours,  and  other  ceremonies,  which  were  so  numerous  as 
entirely  to  remove  all  semblance  of  spiritual  worship,  we 
were  condemned  to  witness  a  repetition  of  the  same 
mockery  at  the  Italian's  church,  at  his  request.  I  could 
not  stand  it  out,  but  those  who  did  observed  that  the 
priest  ate  and  drank  all  the  consecrated  elements  himself, 
and  gave  none  to  the  few  poor  women  who  composed  his 
congregation,  and  who,  the  Armenian  said,  had  been  hired 
for  the  occasion. 

Before  returning  to  Ispahan  we  sat  a  short  time  in 
the  garden  with  the  bishops.  They,  poor  things,  had 
nothing  to  say,  and  could  scarcely  speak  Persian  ;  so  that 
all  the  conversation  was  between  me  and  Matteus.  At 
my  request  he  brought  what  he  had  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures in  Persian  and  Arabic.  They  were  Wheloi's  Persian  j 
Gospels,  and  an  Arabic  version  of  the  Gospels  printed  at  ' 
Rome.  I  tried  in  vain  to  bring  him  to  any  profitable 
discussion  ;  with  more  sense  than  his  brethren,  he  is  not 
more  advanced  in  spiritual  knowledge.  Returned  much 
disappointed.  Julfa  had  formerly  twenty  bishops  and 
about  one  hundred  clergy,  with  twenty-four  churches. 

June  2. — Soon  after  midnight  we  mounted  our  horses. 
It  was  a  mild  moonlight  night  and  a  nightingale  filled  the 
whole  valley  with  his  notes.  Our  way  was  along  lanes, 
over  which  the  wood  on  each  side  formed  a  canopy,  and 
a  murmuring  rivulet  accompanied  us  till  it  was  lost  in  a 
lake.  At  daylight  we  emerged  into  the  plain  of  Kashan, 
which  seems  to  be  a  part  of  the  great  Salt  Desert.  On 
our  arrival  at  the  king's  garden,  where  we  intended  to 
put  up,  we  were  at  first  refused  admittance,  but  an  appli- 
cation to  the  Governor  was  soon  attended  to.  We  saw 
here  huge  snowy  mountains  on  the  north-east  beyond 
Teheran. 

H  H 


466  HENRY  MARTYN 

June  5. — Reached  Kum  ; '  the  country  uniformly  deso- 
late. The  chief  Moojtahid  in  all  Persia  being  a  resident 
of  this  city,  I  sent  to  know  if  a  visit  would  be  agreeable 
to  him.  His  reply  was,  that  if  I  had  any  business  with 
him  I  might  come  ;  but  if  otherwise,  his  age  and  infirmities 
must  be  his  excuse.  Intending  to  travel  a  double  stage, 
started  soon  after  sunset. 

June  8. — Arrived,  two  hours  before  daybreak,  at  the 
walls  of  Teheran.  I  spread  my  bed  upon  the  high  road,  and 
slept  till  the  gates  were  open  ;  then  entered  the  city,  and 
took  up  my  abode  at  the  ambassador's  house. 

I  lost  no  time  in  forwarding  Jaffir  Ali  Khan's  letter  to 
the  premier,  who  sent  to  desire  that  I  would  come  to  him. 
I  found  him  lying  ill  in  the  verandah  of  the  king's  tent  of 
audience.  Near  him  were  sitting  two  persons,  who,  I  was 
afterwards  informed,  were  Mirza  Khantar  and  Mirza 
Abdoolwahab  ;  the  latter  being  a  secretary  of  state  and 
a  great  admirer  of  the  Soofi  sage.  They  took  very  little 
notice,  not  rising  when  I  sat  down,  as  is  their  custom  to 
all  who  sit  with  them  ;  nor  offering  me  kalean.  The  two 
secretaries,  on  learning  my  object  in  coming,  began  a 
conversation  with  me  on  religion  and  metaphysics,  which 
lasted  two  hours.  As  they  were  both  well-educated, 
gentlemanly  men,  the  discussion  was  temperate,  and,  I 
hope,  useful. 

June  12. — I  attended  the  Vizier's  levee,  where  there 
was  a  most  intemperate  and  clamorous  controversy  kept 
up  for  an  hour  or  two  ;  eight  or  ten  on  one  side,  and  I  on 
the  other.  Amongst  them  were  two  moollas,  the  most 
ignorant  of  any  I  have  yet  met  with  in  either  Persia  or 
India.  It  would  be  impossible  to  enumerate  all  the  absurd 
things  they  said.  Their  vulgarity  in  interrupting  me  in 
the  middle  of  a  speech  ;  their  utter  ignorance  of  the  nature 
of  an  argument  ;  their  impudent  assertions  about  the  law 

'  The  fanatical  shrine  of  Fatima.  See  Mrs.  Bishop's  first  vohime  and 
Mr.  Curzon's  second. 


SHIRAZ   TO    TABREEZ  467 

and  the  Gospel,  neither  of  which  they  had  ever  seen  in 
their  hves,  moved  my  indignation  a  Httle.  I  wished,  and  I 
said  it  would  have  been  well,  if  Mirza  Abdoolwahab  had 
been  there  ;  I  should  then  have  had  a  man  of  sense  to 
argue  with.  The  Vizier,  who  set  us  going  at  first,  joined 
in  it  latterly,  and  said,  '  You  had  better  say  God  is  God, 
and  Muhammad  is  the  prophet  of  God.'  I  said,  '  God  is 
God,'  but  added,  instead  of '  Muhammad  is  the  prophet  of 
God,'  'and  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God.'  They  had  no  sooner 
heard  this,  which  I  had  avoided  bringing  forward  till  then, 
than  they  all  exclaimed,  in  contempt  and  anger,  '  He  is 
neither  born  nor  begets,'  and  rose  up,  as  if  they  would 
have  torn  me  in  pieces.  One  of  them -said,  'What  will 
you  say  when  your  tongue  is  burnt  out  for  this  blas- 
phemy ? ' 

One  of  them  felt  for  me  a  little,  and  tried  to  soften  the 
severity  of  this  speech.  My  book,  which  I  had  brought 
expecting  to  present  it  to  the  king,  lay  before  Mirza  Shufi. 
As  they  all  rose  up  after  him  to  go,  some  to  the  king  and 
some  away,  I  was  afraid  they  would  trample  on  the  book  ; 
so  I  went  in  among  them  to  take  it  up,  and  wrapped  it  in 
a  towel  before  them,  while  they  looked  at  it  and  me  with 
supreme  contempt.  Thus  I  walked  away  alone  in  my  tent, 
to  pass  the  rest  of  the  day  in  heat  and  dirt.  What  have 
I  done,  thought  I,  to  merit  all  this  scorn?  Nothing,  I  trust, 
but  bearing  testimony  to  Jesus.  I  thought  over  these 
things  in  prayer,  and  my  troubled  heart  found  that  peace 
which  Christ  hath  promised  to  His  disciples. 

To  complete  the  trials  of  the  day,  a.  message  came  from 
the  Vizier  in  the  evening,  to  say  that  it  was  the  custom  of 
the  king  not  to  see  any  Englishman,  unless  presented 
by  the  ambassador,  or  accredited  by  a  letter  from  him, 
and  that  I  must,  therefore,  wait  till  the  king  reached 
Sultania,  where  the  ambassador  would  be. 

June  1 3. — Disappointed  of  my  object  in  coming  to 
the  camp,  I  lost  no  time  in  leaving  it,  and  proceeded  in 

H  u  2 


468  HENRY  MARTYN 

company  with  Mr.  Canning,  who  had  just  joined  me  from 
Teheran,  towards  Kasbin,  intending  there  to  wait  the  result 
of  an  application  to  the  ambassador.  Started  at  eleven, 
and  travelled  till  eleven  next  morning,  having  gone  ten 
parasangs  or  forty  miles,  to  Quishlang.  The  country  all 
along  was  well  watered  and  cultivated.  The  mules  being 
too  much  tired  to  proceed,  we  passed  the  day  at  the 
village;  indeed,  we  all  wanted  rest.  As  I  sat  down  in  the 
dust,  on  the  shady  side  of  a  walled  village  by  which  we 
passed,  and  surveyed  the  plains  over  which  our  road  lay, 
I  sighed  at  the  thought  of  my  dear  friends  in  India  and 
England,  of  the  vast  regions  I  must  traverse  before  1  can 
get  to  either,  and  of  the  various  and  unexpected  hindrances 
which  present  themselves  to  my  going  forward.  I  comfort 
myself  with  the  hope  that  my  God  has  something  for  me 
to  do,  by  thus  delaying  my  exit. 

June  22. — We  met  with  the  usual  insulting  treatment 
at  the  caravanserai,  where  the  king's  servants  had  got 
possession  of  a  good  room,  built  for  the  reception  of  the 
better  order  of  guests ;  they  seemed  to  delight  in  the 
opportunity  of  humbling  an  European.  Sultania  is  still 
but  a  village,  yet  the  Zengan  prince  has  quartered  himself 
and  all  his  attendants,  with  their  horses,  on  this  poor  little 
village.  All  along  the  road,  where  the  king  is  expected, 
the  people  are  patiently  waiting,  as  for  some  dreadful 
disaster;  plague,  pestilence,  or  famine  is  nothing  to  the 
misery  of  being  subject  to  the  violence  and  extortion  of 
this  rabble  soldiery. 

June  25.  (Zengan.) — After  a  restless  night,  rose  so  ill 
with  the  fever  that  I  could  not  go  on.  My  companion, 
Mr.  Canning,  was  nearly  in  the  same  state.  We  touched 
nothing  all  day. 

June  26. — After  such  another  night  I  had  determined 
to  go  on,  but  Mr.  Canning  declared  himself  unable  to  stir, 
so  here  we  dragged  through  another  miserable  day.  What 
added    to    our    distress   was   that    we   were    in    danger,  if 


SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ  469 

detained  here  another  day  or  two,  of  being  absolutely  in 
want  of  the  necessaries  of  life  before  reaching  Tabreez. 
We  made  repeated  applications  to  the  moneyed  people,  but 
none  would  advance  a  piastre.  Where  are  the  people  who 
flew  forth  to  meet  General  Malcolm  with  their  purses  and 
their  lives  ?  Another  generation  is  risen  up,  '  who  know 
not  Joseph.'  Providentially  a  poor  muleteer,  arriving  from 
Tabreez,  became  security  for  us,  and  thus  we  obtained  five 
tomans.  This  was  a  heaven-send  ;  and  we  lay  down 
quietly,  free  from  apprehensions  of  being  obliged  to  go  a 
fatiguing  journey  of  eight  or  ten  hours,  without  a  house  or 
village  in  the  way,  in  our  present  weak  and  reduced  state. 
We  had  now  eaten  nothing  for  two  days.  My  mind  was 
much  disordered  from  head-ache  and  giddiness,  from 
which  I  was  seldom  free  ;  but  my  heart,  I  trust,  was  with 
Christ  and  His  saints.  To  live  much  longer  in  this  world 
of  sickness  and  pain  seemed  no  way  desirable  ;  the  most 
favourite  prospects  of  my  heart  seemed  very  poor  and 
childish  ;  and  cheerfully  would  I  have  exchanged  them  all 
for  the  unfading  inheritance. 

June  27. — My  Armenian  servant  was  attacked  in  the 
same  way.  The  rest  did  not  get  me  the  things  that  I 
wanted,  so  that  I  passed  the  third  day  in  the  same 
exhausted  state  ;  my  head,  too,  was  tortured  with  shocking 
pains,  such  as,  together  with  the  horror  I  felt  at  being 
exposed  to  the  sun,  showed  me  plainly  to  what  to  ascribe 
my  sickness.  Towards  evening,  two  more  of  our  servants 
were  attacked  in  the  same  way,  and  lay  groaning  from 
pains  in  the  head. 

June  28. — All  were  much  recovered,  but  in  the  after- 
noon I  again  relapsed.  During  a  high  fever  Mr.  Canning 
read  to  me  in  bed  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  and  I 
never  felt  the  consolations  of  that  Divine  revelation  of 
mysteries  more  sensibly  and  solemnly.  Rain  in  the  night 
prevented  our  setting  off. 

June  29. — My   ague  and    fever  returned,  with  such  a 


470  HENRY  MARTYN 

head-ache  that  I  was  almost  frantic.  Again  and  again  I 
said  to  myself,  *  Let  patience  have  her  perfect  work,'  and 
kept  pleading  the  promises,  'When  thou  passest  through 
the  waters  I  will  be  with  thee,'  etc.  ;  and  the  Lord  did  not 
withhold  His  presence.  I  endeavoured  to  repel  all  the 
disordered  thoughts  that  the  fever  occasioned,  and  to  keep 
in  mind  that  all  was  friendly  ;  a  friendly  Lord  presiding ; 
and  nothing  exercising  me  but  what  would  show  itself 
at  last  friendly.  A  violent  perspiration  at  last  relieved 
the  acute  pain  in  my  head,  and  my  heart  rejoiced ; 
but  as  soon  as  that  was  over,  the  exhaustion  it  occa- 
sioned, added  to  the  fatigue  from  the  pain,  left  me  in 
as  low  a  state  of  depression  as  ever  I  was  in.  I  seemed 
about  to  sink  into  a  long  fainting  fit,  and  I  almost  wished 
it  ;  but  at  this  moment,  a  little  after  midnight,  I  was 
summoned  to  mount  my  horse,  and  set  out,  rather  dead 
than  alive.  We  moved  on  six  parasangs.  We  had  a 
thunder-storm  with  hail. 

July  I, — A  long  and  tiresome  march  to  Sarehund  ;  in 
seven  parasangs  there  was  no  village.  They  had  nothing 
to  sell  but  buttermilk  and  bread  ;  but  a  servant  of  Abbas 
Mirza,  happening  to  be  at  the  same  caravanserai,  sent  us 
some  flesh  of  a  mountain  cow  which  he  had  shot  the  day 
before.  All  day  I  had  scarcely  the  right  recollection  of 
myself  from  the  violence  of  the  ague.  We  have  now 
reached  the  end  of  the  level  ground  which  we  have  had  all 
the  way  from  Teheran,  and  are  approaching  the  boundaries 
of  Parthia  and  ]\Iedia  ;  a  most  natural  boundary  it  is,  as 
the  two  ridges  of  mountains  we  have  had  on  the  left  and 
right  come  round  and  form  a  barrier. 

July  2. — At  two  in  the  morning  we  set  out.  I  hardly 
know  when  I  have  been  so  disordered.  I  had  little  or  no 
recollection  of  things,  and  what  I  did  remember  at  times 
of  happy  scenes  in  India  or  England,  served  only  to 
embitter  my  present  situation.  Soon  after  removing  into 
the  air  I  was  seized  with  a  violent  ague,  and  in  this  state  I 


SHIR  A  Z  TO   TABREEZ  471 

went  on  till  sunrise.  At  three  parasangs  and  a  half  we 
found  a  fine  caravanserai,  apparently  very  little  used,  as  the 
grass  was  growing  in  the  court.  There  was  nothing  all 
round  but  the  barren  rocks,  which  generally  roughen  the 
country  before  the  mountain  rears  its  height.  Such  an 
edifice  in  such  a  situation  was  cheering.  Soon  after  we 
came  to  a  river,  over  which  was  a  high  bridge  ;  I  sat  down 
in  the  shade  under  it,  with  two  camel  drivers.  The  kafila, 
as  it  happened,  forded  the  river,  and  passed  on  without  my 
perceiving  it.  Mr.  Canning  seeing  no  signs  of  me,  returned, 
and  after  looking  about  for  some  time,  espied  my  horse 
grazing ;  he  concluded  immediately  that  the  horse  had 
flung  me  from  the  bridge  into  the  river,  and  was  almost 
ready  to  give  me  up  for  lost  My  speedy  appearance  from 
under  the  bridge  relieved  his  terror  and  anxiety.  Half  the 
people  still  continue  ill ;  for  myself,  I  am,  through  God's 
infinite  mercy,  recovering. 

July  4. — I  so  far  prevailed  as  to  get  the  kafila  into 
motion  at  midnight.  Lost  our  way  in  the  night,  but 
arriving  at  a  village  we  were  set  right  again.  At  eight 
came  to  Kilk  caravanserai,  but  not  stopping  there,  went 
on  to  a  village,  where  we  arrived  at  half-past  nine.  The 
baggage  not  coming  up  till  long  after,  we  got  no  breakfast 
till  one  o'clock.  In  consequence  of  all  these  things,  want 
of  sleep,  want  of  refreshment,  and  exposure  to  the  sun,  I 
was  presently  in  a  high  fever,  which  raged  so  furiously  all 
the  day  that  I  was  nearly  delirious,  and  it  was  some  time 
before  I  could  get  the  right  recollection  of  myself  I 
almost  despaired,  and  do  now,  of  getting  alive  through  this 
unfortunate  journey.  Last  night  I  felt  remarkably  well, 
calm  and  composed,  and  sat  reflecting  on  my  heavenly 
rest,  with  more  sweetness  of  soul,  abstraction  from  the 
world,  and  solemn  views  of  God,  than  I  have  had  for  a 
long  time.  Oh,  for  such  sacred  hours !  This  short  and 
painful  life  would  scarcely  be  felt  could  I  live  thus  at 
heaven's    gate.      It    being   impossible    to    continue    my 


472  HENRY  MARTYN 

journey  in  my  present  state,  and  one  of  the  servants  also 
being  so  ill  that  he  could  not  move  with  safety,  we  deter- 
mined to  halt  one  day  at  the  village,  and  sent  on  a 
messenger  to  Sir  Gore,  at  Tabreez,  informing  him  of  our 
approach. 

July  5. — As  soon  as  it  was  day  we  found  our  way  to 
the  village  where  the  Doctor  was  waiting  for  us.  Not  being 
able  to  stay  for  us,  he  went  on  to  Tabreez,  and  we  as  far 
as  Wasmuch,  where  he  promised  to  procure  for  us  a  fine 
upper  room  furnished  ;  but  when  we  arrived,  they  denied 
that  there  was  any  such  a  place.  At  last,  after  an  hour's 
threatening,  we  got  admittance  to  it.  An  hour  before 
break  of  day  I  left  it,  in  hopes  of  reaching  Tabreez  before 
sunrise.  Some  of  the  people  seemed  to  feel  compassion  for 
me,  and  asked  me  if  I  was  not  very  ill.  At  last  I  reached 
the  gate,  and  feebly  asked  for  a  man  to  show  me  the  way 
to  the  ambassador's. 

July  9. —Made  an  extraordinary  effort,  and  as  a  Tartar 
was  going  off  instantly  to  Constantinople,  wrote  letters  to 
Mr.  Grant  for  permission  to  come  to  England,  and  to  Mr. 
Simeon  and  Lydia,  informing  them  of  it ;  but  I  have 
scarcely  the  remotest  expectation  of  seeing  it,  except 
by  looking  at  the  almighty  power  of  God. 

Dined  at  night  at  the  ambassador's,  who  said  he  was 
determined  to  give  every  possible  eclat  to  my  book,  by 
presenting  it  himself  to  the  king.  My  fever  never  ceased 
to  rage  till  the  21st,  during  all  which  time  every  effort  was 
made  to  subdue  it,  till  I  had  lost  all  my  strength  and 
almost  all  my  reason.  They  now  administer  bark,  and  it 
may  please  God  to  bless  the  tonics  ;  but  I  seem  too  far 
gone,  and  can  only  say,  '  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  be 
with  Christ,  which  is  far  better.' 


SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ  473 


To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Tabreez  :  July  12,  i8i2. 

My  dearest  Lydia, — I   have  only  time  to  say  that   I 
have  received  your  letter  of  February   14.     Shall    I  pain 
your  heart  by  adding,  that  I  am  in  such  a  state  of  sickness 
and  pain,  that  I  can  hardly  write  to  you  ?     Let  me  rather 
observe,  to  obviate  the  gloomy  apprehension  my  letters  to 
Mr.  Grant  and  Mr.  Simeon  may  excite,  that   I  am  likely 
soon  to  be  delivered  from  my  fever.     Whether  I  shall  gain 
strength  enough  to  go  on,  rests  on  our  Heavenly  Father,  in 
whose  hands  are  all  my  times.     Oh,  His  precious  grace ! 
His  eternal  unchanging  love  in  Christ  to  my  soul  never 
appeared  more  clear,  more  sweet,  more  strong.     I  ought  to 
inform  you  that  in  consequence  of  the  state  to  which  I  am 
reduced  by  travelling  so  far  overland,  without  having  half 
accomplished  my  journey,  and  the  consequent  impossibility 
of  returning  to  India  the  same  way,  I   have  applied   for 
leave  to  come  on  furlough  to  England.     Perhaps  you  will 
be  gratified  by  this  intelligence  ;  but  oh,  my  dear  Lydia, 
I    must    faithfully    tell    you    that    the   probability    of   my 
reaching  England  alive  is  but  small ;  and  this  I  say,  that 
your  expectations  of  seeing  me  again  may  be  moderate,  as 
mine  are  of  seeing  you.     Why  have  you  not  written  more 
about   yourself.''     However,    I   am    thankful   for   knowing 
that  you  are  alive  and  well.     I    scarcely    know   how   to 
desire  you  to  direct.     Perhaps  Alexandria  in  Egypt  will 
be  the  best  place  ;  another  may  be  sent  to  Constantinople, 
for  though  I  shall  not  go  there,  I  hope  Mr.  Morier  will  be 
kept  informed  of  my  movements.     Kindest  love  to  all  the 
saints    you  usually  mention.     Yours    ever  most  faithfully 
and  affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 


474  HENRY  MARTYN 


To  Rev.  C.  Simeon 

Tabreez  :  July  I2,  i8l2. 

My  dearest  Friend  and  Brother, — The  Tartar  courier 
for  Constantinople,  who  has  been  delayed  some  days  on 
our  account,  being  to  be  despatched  instantly,  my  little 
strength  also  being  nearly  exhausted  by  writing  to  Mr. 
Grant  a  letter  to  be  laid  before  the  court :  I  have  only  to 
notice  some  of  the  particulars  of  your  letter  of  February  of 
this  year.  It  is  not  now  before  me,  neither  have  I  strength 
to  search  for  it  among  my  papers  ;  but  from  the  frequent 
attentive  perusals  I  gave  it  during  my  intervals  of  ease,  I 
do  not  imagine  that  any  of  it  has  escaped  my  memory. 
At  present  I  am  in  a  high  fever,  and  cannot  properly 
recollect  myself  I  shall  ever  love  and  be  grateful  to  Mr. 
Thornton  for  his  kind  attention  to  my  family. 

The  increase  of  godly  young  men  is  precious  news. 
If  I  sink  into  the  grave  in  India,  my  place  will  be  supplied 
an  hundredfold.  You  will  learn  from  Mr.  Grant  that  I 
have  applied  for  leave  to  come  to  England  on  furlough ;  a 
measure  you  will  disapprove  ;  but  you  would  not,  were 
you  to  see  the  pitiable  condition  to  which  I  am  reduced, 
and  knew  what  it  is  to  traverse  the  continent  of  Asia  in 
the  destitute  state  in  which  I  am.  If  you  wish  not  to 
see  me,  I  can  say  that  I  think  it  most  probable  that  you 
will  not ;  the  way  before  me  being  not  better  than  that 
passed  over,  which  has  nearly  killed  me. 

I  would  not  pain  your  heart,  my  dear  brother,  but  we 
who  are  in  Jesus  have  the  privilege  of  viewing  life  and 
death  as  nearly  the  same,  since  both  are  one  ;  and  I  thank 
a  gracious  Lord  that  sickness  never  came  at  a  time  when 
I  was  more  free  from  apparent  reasons  for  living.  Nothing 
seemingly  remains  for  me  to  do  but  to  follow  the  rest  of 
my  family  to  the  tomb.  Let  not  the  book  written  against 
Muhammadanism  be  published  till  approved  in  India.     A 


SHIRAZ    TO    TABREEZ  475 

European  who  has  not  hvcd  amongst  them  cannot  imagine 
how  differently  they  see,  imagine,  reason,  object,  from 
what  we  do.  This  I  had  full  opportunity  of  observing 
during  my  eleven  months'  residence  at  Shiraz.  During 
that  time  I  was  engaged  in  a  written  controversy  with  one 
of  the  most  learned  and  temperate  doctors  there.  He 
began.  I  replied  what  was  unanswerable,  then  I  subjoined 
a  second  more  direct  attack  on  the  glaring  absurdities  of 
Muhammadanism,  with  a  statement  of  the  nature  and 
evidences  of  Christianity.  The  Soofis  then  as  well  as 
himself  desired  a  demonstration,  from  the  very  beginning, 
of  the  truth  of  any  revelation.  As  this  third  treatise 
contained  an  examination  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Soofis,  and 
pointed  out  that  their  object  was  attainable  by  the  Gospel, 
and  by  that  only,  it  was  read  with  interest  and  convinced 
many.  There  is  not  a  single  Europeanism  in  the  whole 
that  I  know  of,  as  my  friend  and  interpreter  would  not 
write  anything  that  he  could  not  perfectly  comprehend 
But  I  am  exhausted  ;  pray  for  me,  beloved  brother,  and 
believe  that  I  am,  as  long  as  life  and  recollection  lasts, 
yours  affectionately, 

H.  Martyn. 

Tabreez :  August  8. 

My  dearest  Brother  and  Friend, — Ever  since  I  wrote, 
about  a  month,  I  believe,  I  have  been  lying  upon  the  bed 
of  sickness  ;  for  twenty  days  or  more  the  fever  raged  with 
great  violence,  and  for  a  long  time  every  species  of  medicine 
was  tried  in  vain.  After  I  had  given  up  every  hope  of 
recovery,  it  pleased  God  to  abate  the  fever,  but  incessant 
head-aches  succeeded,  which  allowed  me  no  rest  day  or 
night.  I  was  reduced  still  lower,  and  am  now  a  mere 
skeleton ;  but  as  they  are  now  less  frequent,  I  supjDOse  it  to 
be  the  will  of  God  that  I  should  be  raised  up  to  life  again. 
I  am  now  sitting  in  my  chair,  and  wrote  the  will  with  a 
strong   hand ;  but   as   you    see    I    cannot   write   so   now. 


476  HENRY  MARTYN 

Kindest  love  to  Mr.  John  Thornton,  for  whose  temporal 
and  spiritual  prosperity  I  daily  pray. — Your  ever  affec- 
tionate friend  and  brother, 

H.  Martyn. 


Lydia  Grenfell's  letter,  to  which  Martyn's  of  July  12, 
written  in  such  circumstances,  is  a  reply,  was  really  dated 
February  I,  181 2,  and  was  the  last  received  from  her  by 
him.  Her  Diary  notes  that  she  '  wrote  to  India,  August  30, 
September  30,  1812  '  ;  and  on  December  12  of  that  year, 
thus  remarks  on  his  letter  of  July  12  : 

Heard  from  Tabreez  from  Mr.  Martyn  with  an  account 
of  his  dangerous  state  of  health  and  intention  of  returning 
to  England  if  his  life  was  spared.  This  intelligence  affected 
me  variously.  The  probability  of  his  death,  the  certainty 
of  his  extreme  sufferings,  and  distance  from  every  friend, 
pressed  heavily  on  my  spirits ;  I  was  enabled  to  pray,  and 
felt  relieved.  Of  his  return  no  very  sanguine  expectations 
can  be  entertained.  Darkness  and  distress  of  mind  have 
followed  this  information.  I  cannot  collect  my  thoughts 
to  write,  or  apply  as  I  ought  to  anything.  Oh,  let  me 
consider  this  as  a  call  to  prayer  and  watchfulness  and  self- 
examination.     Lord,  assist  me  ! 

December  16. — A  season  of  great  temptation,  darkness, 
and  distress.  At  no  period  of  my  life  have  I  stood  more 
in  need  of  Divine  help,  and  oh !  may  I  earnestly  seek  it. 
Lord,  I  would  pray,  give  me  a  right  understanding,  and 
enable  me  seriously  to  consider  and  weigh  in  the  balance  of 
the  sanctuary  all  I  do — yea,  let  my  thoughts  be  watched. 
Sleep  has  fled  from  mine  eyes,  and  a  fearful  looking  for  of 
trial  and  affliction,  however  this  affair  ends,  possesses  my 
mind.  Oh  !  let  me  cast  my  burden  on  the  Lord — it  is  too 
heavy  for  me.  Lord,  let  me  begin  afresh  to  call  upon  Thy 
name,  and,  taking  hold  of  Thee,  I  shall  be  borne  up  above 


SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ  477 

my  trials,  carried  through  the  difficulties  I  see  before  me, 
and  be  delivered. 

December  17. — I  desire,  O  Thou  blessed  God,  to  seek 
Thy  face,  to  call  on  Thy  name.  Thou  hast  been  my 
refuge  ;  I  have  been  happy  in  the  sense  of  Thy  love.  With 
all  my  sins,  my  weaknesses  and  miseries,  I  come  to  Thee, 
and  most  seriously  would  I  seek  Thy  guidance  in  the  per- 
plexing and  difficult  circumstances  I  am  in.  O  Lord,  suffer 
me  not  to  run  counter  to  Thy  will  nor  to  dishonour  Thee. 

December  25. — Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  ;  bless  His 
holy  name  for  ever  and  ever.  I  sought  the  Lord  in  my 
distress,  and  He  gave  ear  unto  me.  Gracious  and  merciful 
art  Thou,  O  Lord,  for  Thou  didst  bend  Thine  ear  to  the 
most  worthless  of  all  creatures.  This  is  for  the  glory  of 
Thy  name  alone,  to  show  how  great  Thy  mercy  is,  how 
sure  Thy  truth.  After  a  night  of  clouds  and  darkness, 
behold  the  clear  sky. 

December  26. — This  joyful,  holy  season  calls  upon  me 
for  fresh  praises,  and  a  renewed  dedication  of  myself  to 
God.  I  rejoice  in  believing  Christ  was  born  ;  I  rejoice  in 
the  end  proposed  of  His  appearance  in  the  flesh,,  the 
recovery  of  mankind  to  holiness  and  to  God.  I  welcome 
this  salvation  as  that  I  most  desire.  My  happiness,  I  know, 
consists  in  holiness  and  in  the  favour  of  God.  Thought 
much  to-day  of  my  dear  friend.  I  cannot  think  of  him  as 
having  gained  the  heavenly  crown,  but  as  struggling  with 
dangers  and  difficulties.  Secure  in  them  all  of  Thy  favour, 
and  defended  by  Thy  power,  he  is  safe,  and  pass  but  a  few 
years  or  days,  and  he  will  enter  into  the  rest  of  God.  Let 
me,  too,  follow  after  him  as  he  follows  Christ. 

\%\^,  January  4. — After  anight  and  day  spent  in  great 
conflict  and  agony  of  mind,  I,  this  evening,  enjoy  a  respite 
from  distressing  apprehensions.  I  was  reduced  to  the 
lowest,  as  to  animal  spirits  and  spiritual  life,  when  it 
occurred  to  me  I  would  go  to  the  meeting,  where  I  found 
a  sweet — oh,  may  it  be  a  lasting !  relief  from  my  cares. 


478  HENRY  MARTYN 

Having  better  things  proposed  for  my  consideration,  my 
burden  has  chiefly  been  from  a  sense  of  inward  weakness 
and  a  conviction  of  having  lost  the  presence  of  God.  The 
state  of  my  beloved  friend  less  occupies  my  mind  than  I 
sometimes  think  is  reconcilable  with  a  true  affection  for 
him ;  but  the  truth  is,  the  concerns  of  my  soul  are  the  more 
pressing.  Oh !  may  this  trial  truly  answer  this  purpose  of 
driving  me  to  God,  my  refuge  and  rest. 

Jmiuary  6. — Still  harassed  and  without  strength  to 
resist.  I  seem  divested  of  the  Spirit,  yet,  oh,  let  me  not 
give  way  to  this  !  I  will  try,  as  a  helpless  sinner,  to  seek 
Divine  aid.  Thou  canst  command  peace  within  and  increase 
my  faith.  I  am  amazed  at  the  state  of  my  mind — instead 
of  having  my  thoughts  exercised  about  my  dear  friend,  I 
am  filled  with  distressing  fears  for  my  soul,  and  left  so  to 
myself  that  all  I  can  do  is  to  pray  for  the  Lord  to  return 
and  lift  upon  me  the  light  of  His  countenance.  O  Thou 
blessed  Redeemer !  hear  my  sighs  and  put  my  tears  into 
Thy  bottle.  My  wanderings  are  noted  down  in  Thy  book. 
Oh,  have  pity  on  my  wretched  state  and  revive  Thy  work, 
increase  my  faith.  Thou  art  the  resurrection  and  the  life — 
let  me  rest  on  this  Scripture. 

February  i. — My  beloved  friend  remembered  every  hour, 
but  to-day  with  less  distressing  fears  and  perplexity  of  mind. 
I  do  from  my  inmost  soul,  O  Lord,  desire  Thy  will  to  be 
done,  and  that  Thou  mayest  be  glorified  in  this  concern. 
Oh,  direct  us  ! 

February  7. — I  have  been  convinced  to-day  how  by 
admitting  into  my  heart,  and  suffering  my  first,  my  last, 
and  every  thought  to  be  engrossed  by  an  earthly  object,  I 
have  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  hindered  God  from 
dwelling  in  me.  Oh  !  let  me  have  done  with  idols  and 
worship  God. 

More  than  six  weeks  after  his  letter  of  July  12,  the 
fever-stricken  missionary  recovered  strength  to  write  to 
Lydia  once  again : 


SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ  479 


To  Lydia  Grenfell 

Tabreez  :  August  28,  1812. 

I  wrote  to  you  last,  my  dear  Lydia,  in  great  disorder. 
My  fever  had  approached  nearly  to  delirium,  and  my 
debility  was  so  great  that  it  seemed  impossible  I  could 
withstand  the  power  of  disease  many  days.  Yet  it  has 
pleased  God  to  restore  me  to  life  and  health  again  ;  not 
that  I  have  recovered  my  former  strength  yet,  but  consider 
myself  sufficiently  restored  to  prosecute  my  journey.  My 
daily  prayer  is,  that  my  late  chastisement  may  have  its 
intended  effect,  and  make  me  all  the  rest  of  my  days  more 
humble,  and  less  self-confident.  Self-confidence  has  often 
let  me  down  fearful  lengths,  and  would,  without  God's 
gracious  interference,  prove  my  endless  perdition.  I  seem 
to  be  made  to  feel  this  evil  of  my  heart  more  than  any 
other  at  this  time.  In  prayer,  or  when  I  write  or  converse 
on  the  subject,  Christ  appears  to  me  my  life  and  strength, 
but  at  other  times  I  am  as  thoughtless  and  bold  as  if  I  had 
all  life  and  strength  in  myself  Such  neglect  on  our  part 
works  a  diminution  of  our  joys  ;  but  the  covenant,  the 
covenant!  stands  fast  with  Him,  for  His  people  evermore. 

I  mentioned  my  conversing  sometimes  on  Divine  sub- 
jects, for  though  it  is  long  enough  since  I  have  seen  a  child 
of  God,  I  am  sometimes  led  on  by  the  Persians  to  tell  them 
all  I  know  of  the  very  recesses  of  the  sanctuary,  and  these 
are  the  things  that  interest  them.  But  to  give  an  account 
of  all  my  discussions  with  these  mystic  philosophers  must 
be  reserved  to  the  time  of  our  meeting.  Do  I  dream,  that 
I  venture  to  think  and  write  of  such  an  event  as  that  .-*  Is 
it  possible  that  we  shall  ever  meet  again  below  }  Though 
it  is  possible,  I  dare  not  indulge  such  a  pleasing  hope  yet. 
I  am  still  at  a  tremendous  distance  ;  and  the  countries  I 
have  to  pass  through  are  many  of  them  dangerous  to  the 
traveller,  from  the  hordes  of  banditti,  whom  a  feeble  govern- 


48o  HENRY  MARTYN 

ment  cannot  chastise.  In  consequence  of  the  bad  state  of 
the  road  between  this  and  Aleppo,  Sir  Gore  advises  me  to 
go  first  to  Constantinople,  and  from  thence  to  pass  into 
Syria.  In  favour  of  this  route,  he  urges  that,  by  writing 
to  two  or  three  Turkish  Governors  on  the  frontiers,  he  can 
secure  me  a  safe  passage,  at  least  half-way,  and  the  latter 
half  is  probably  not  much  infested.  In  three  days,  there- 
fore, I  intend  setting  my  horse's  head  towards  Constanti- 
nople, distant  above  thirteen  hundred  miles.  Nothing,  I 
think,  will  occasion  any  further  detention  here,  if  I  can 
procure  servants  who  know  both  Persian  and  Turkish  ; 
but  should  I  be  taken  ill  on  the  road,  my  case  would  be 
pitiable  indeed.  The  ambassador  and  his  suite  are  still 
here  :  his  and  Lady  Ouseley's  attentions  to  me,  during  my 
illness,  have  been  unremitted.  The  Prince  Abbas  Mirza, 
the  wisest  of  the  king's  sons,  and  heir  to  the  throne,  was 
here  some  time  after  my  arrival ;  I  much  wished  to  present 
a  copy  of  the  Persian  New  Testament  to  him,  but  I  could 
not  rise  from  my  bed.  The  book  will,  however,  be  given 
to  him  by  the  ambassador.  Public  curiosity  about  the 
Gospel,  now  for  the  first  time,  in  the  memory  of  the  modern 
Persians,  introduced  into  the  country,  is  a  good  deal  excited 
here,  at  Shiraz,  and  other  places  ;  so  that,  upon  the  whole, 
I  am  thankful  for  having  been  led  hither  and  detained, 
though  my  residence  in  this  country  has  been  attended 
with  many  unpleasant  circumstances.  The  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  East  is  preparing.  This  much  may  be  said 
with  safety,  but  little  more.  The  Persians  also  will 
probably  take  the  lead  in  the  march  to  Zion,  as  they  are 
ripe  for  a  revolution  in  religion  as  well  as  politics. 

Sabat,  about  whom  you  inquire  so  regularly,  I  have 
heard  nothing  of  this  long  time.  My  friends  in  India  have 
long  since  given  me  up  as  lost  or  gone  out  of  reach,  and  if 
they  wrote  they  would  probably  not  mention  him,  as  he  is 

far  from  being  a  favourite  with  any  of  them.     ,  who  is 

himself  of  an    impatient   temper,  cannot   tolerate    him  ; 


SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ  481 

indeed,  lam  pronounced  to  be  the  only  man  in  Bengal 
who  could  have  lived  with  him  so  long.  He  is,  to  be  sure, 
the  most  tormenting  creature  I  ever  yet  chanced  to  deal 
with — peevish,  proud,  suspicious,  greedy  ;  he  used  to  give 
daily  more  and  more  distressing  proofs  of  his  never  having 
received  the  saving  grace  of  God.  But  of  this  you  will  say 
nothing ;  while  his  interesting  story  is  yet  fresh  in  the 
memory  of  people,  his  failings  had  better  not  be  mentioned. 
The  poor  Arab  wrote  me  a  querulous  epistle  from  Calcutta, 
complaining  that  no  one  took  notice  of  him  now  that  I 
was  gone  ;  and  then  he  proceeds  to  abuse  his  best  friends. 
I  have  not  yet  written  to  reprove  him  for  his  unchristian 
sentiments,  and  when  I  do  I  know  it  will  be  to  no  purpose 
after  all  the  private  lectures  I  have  given  him.  My  course 
from  Constantinople  is  so  uncertai-n  that  I  hardly  know 
where  to  desire  you  to  direct  to  me  ;  I  believe  Malta  is  the 
only  place,  for  there  I  must  stop  in  my  way  home.  Soon 
we  shall  have  occasion  for  pen  and  ink  no  more ;  but  I 
trust  I  shall  shortly  see  thee  face  to  face.  Love  to  all  the 
saints. 

Believe  me  to  be  yours  ever,  most  faithfully  and 
affectionately, 

H.  Martvn. 

These  were  Henry  Martyn's  last  words  to  Lydia  Gren- 
fell.  Hasting  home  to  be  with  her,  in  a  few  weeks  his 
yearning  spirit  was  with  the  Lord — 

Love  divine,  all  love  excelling. 

Tabreez  was  at  this  time  the  centre  of  diplomatic 
activity.  While  the  Shah  and  his  camp  were  not  far  off, 
the  Turkish  Ambassador  was  in  the  city,  and  Sir  Gore 
Ouseley  was  busily  mediating  between  the  Turkish  and 
Persian  Governments  after  their  hostilities  on  the  Baghdad 
frontier.     Turkey,  moreover,  had  just  before  concluded  a 

II 


482  HENRY  MARTYN 

treaty  with  Russia,  with  consequences  most  offensive  to 
the  Shah.  Only  the  personal  influence  and  active  inter- 
ference of  the  British  Ambassador  prevented  the  renewal 
of  hostilities.  Mr.  Morier,  the  Secretary  of  Embassy,  gives 
us  this  contemporary  picture  of  Martyn's  arrival :  ^  '  We 
had  not  long  been  at  Tabreez  before  our  party  was  joined 
by  the  Rev.  William  Canning  and  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn. 
The  former  was  attached  to  our  Embassy  as  chaplain  ;  the 
latter,  whom  we  had  left  at  Shiraz  employed  in  the  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament  into  the  Persian  language, 
having  completed  that  object,  was  on  his  way  to  Constan- 
tinople. Both  these  gentlemen  had  suffered  greatly  in 
health  during  their  journey  from  Shiraz.  Mr.  Martyn  had 
scarcely  time  to  recover  his  strength  before  he  departed 
again.' 

Had  Henry  Martyn  been  induced  by  his  hospitable 
friends  to  rest  here  for  a  time,  had  the  physician  con- 
strained him  to  wait  for  a  better  season  and  more  strength, 
he  might  have  himself  presented  his  sacred  work  to  the 
Shah — might  have  repeated  in  the  north  what  he  had  been 
permitted  to  do  in  one  brief  year  in  the  south  of  Persia, 
and  might  have  again  seen  the  beloved  Lydia  and  his 
Cambridge  friends.  For  Tabreez,  '  the  fever-dispeller,'  is 
said  to  have  been  so  named  by  Zobeidah,  the  wife  of  the 
Kaliph  Haroon'r  Rashheed,  who,  at  the  close  of  the  eighth 
century,  beautified  the  ancient  Tauris,  capital  of  Tiri- 
dates  HI.,  King  of  Armenia  in  297,  because  of  its  healthy 
climate.  In  spite  of  repeated  earthquakes  the  city  has 
been  always  rebuilt,  low  and  mean,  covering  an  area  like 
that  of  Vienna,  but  the  principal  emporium   from  which 

*  A  Second  Jotirney  through  Persia,  ^c,  between  the  years  iZloand  l8l6, 

V-  223. 


SHIRAZ   TO    TABREEZ  483 

Persia  used  to  receive  its  European  goods  till  the  coasting 
steamers  of  India  opened  up  the  Persian  Gulf  and,  of  late, 
the  Euphrates,  Tigris,  and  Karoon  rivers.  Only  the  ark,  or 
citadel  of  Ali  Shah,  a  noble  building  of  burnt  brick,  and 
the  fine  ruin  of  the  Kabood  Masjeed,  or  mosque  of  beauti- 
fully arabesqued  blue  tiles,  redeemed  the  city  in  Martyn's 
time  from  meanness.  The  Ambassador,  his  host,  was  then 
lodged  in  the  house  of  its  wealthiest  citizen,  Hajji  Khan 
Muhammed,  whom  the  Prince  had  turned  out  to  make 
room  for  Sir  Gore  Ouseley.  Now  the  British  Consulate  of 
Tabreez  is  a  spacious  residence,  with  a  fine  garden,  and 
the  city  has  become  flourishing  again.  Henry  Martyn  left 
Tabreez  on  his  fatal  journey  at  the  very  time  when  the 
climate  began  to  be  at  its  best.  All  around,  too,  and 
especially  in  the  hills  of  Sahand  to  the  south,  with  the  air 
of  Scotland  and  of  Wales,  or  on  the  natural  pastures  of 
Chaman,  where  the  finest  brood  mares  are  kept,  sloping 
down  to  the  waters  of  Lake  Ooroomia,  he  would  have 
found  in  the  hot  season  the  loveliest  land  in  Asia.^ 

Before  we  hasten  on  with  the  modern  apostle  of  the 
Persians  to  the  bitter  but  bright  end,  we  must  trace  the 
history  of  the  influence  of  his  translation  of  the  New 
Testament.  The  20th  August,  18 12,  he  joyfully  entered 
in  his  Journal  as  a  day  much  to  be  remembered  for  the 
remarkable  recovery  of  strength.  He  learned  from  Mirza 
Aga  Meer  that  his  'work,'  that  is,  his  reply  to  Mirza 
Ibrahim,  had  been  read  to  the  Shah  by  Mirza  Abdool- 
wahab,  and  that  the  king  had  observed  to  Mirza  Boozong, 

'  '  Were  I,'  writes  Mr.  Baillie  Fraser,  '  to  select  a  spot  the  best  calculated 
for  the  recovery  of  health,  and  for  its  preservation,  I  knowr  not  that  I  could 
hit  upon  any  more  suited  to  the  purpose  than  Tabreez,  at  any  season.  A 
briglitcr  sky  and  purer  air  can  scarcely  be  found.  To  me  it  seems  as  if  there 
was  truly  health  in  the  breeze  thai  blows  around  me.' 

I  I  2 


484  HENRY  MARTYN 

his  son's  vizier,  that  the  Feringhis'  (Franks')  Government 
and  army,  and  now  one  of  their  moollas,  was  come  into  the 
East.  The  Shah  then  directed  Mirza  Boozong  to  prepare 
an  answer.  In  consequence  of  this  information  Sir  Gore 
Ouseley,  who  doubtless  desired  to  spare  the  Httle  strength 
of  his  guest,  directed  that  a  certain  moolla,  who  greatly 
wished  to  be  introduced  to  the  man  of  God,  should  not 
be  brought  to  him.  Nevertheless,  '  one  day  a  moolla  came 
and  disputed  a  while  for  Muhammedan,  but  finished  with 
professing  Soofi  sentiments,' 

The  great  Shah,  Fateh  All  Khan  himself,  and  his  son, 
were  thus  prepared  for  the  Divine  gift  of  Henry  Martyn  in 
due  form  through  the  British  Ambassador.  How  it  reached 
His  Persian  Majesty  from  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  and  how  the 
Shah-in-Shah  received  it,  these  letters  tell,  so  honourable  to 
the  writers,  even  after  all  allowance  is  made  for  the  diplo- 
matic courtliness  of  the  correspondence.'  The  Soofi  con- 
troversialists and  friends  of  the  translator,  who  by  that  time 
had  entered  on  his  rest,  must  have,  moreover,  predisposed 
the  eclectic  mind  of  the  always  liberal  Shah  to  treat  with 
reverence  the  Injil,  or  Gospel. 

From  His  Excellency  Sir  Gore  Ouseley^  Bart.,  Ambassador 
Extraordinary  from  His  Britannic  Majesty  to  the  Court  of 
Persia.  Addressed  to  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Teignmouth^ 
President  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

St.  Petersburg  :  September  20,  18 14. 

My  dear  Lord, — Finding  that  I  am  likely  to  be  detained 
here  some  six  or  seven  weeks,  and  apprehensive  that  my 
letters  from  Persia  may  not  have  reached  your  Lordship,  I 
conceive  it  my  duty  to  acquaint  you,  for  the  information  of 

'  See  the  Eleventh  Report  of  th(  British  and  Forei^  Bible  Society^  i^ijj 
Appendix,  No.  51. 


SHIRAZ   TO    TABREEZ  485 

the  society  of  Christians  formed  for  the  purpose  of  propa- 
gating the  Sacred  Writings,  that,  agreeably  to  the  wishes 
of  our  poor  friend,  the  late  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  I  presented 
in  the  name  of  the  Society  (as  he  particularly  desired)  a 
copy  of  his  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into  the 
Persian  language  to  His  Persian  Majesty,  Fateh  Ali  Shah 
Kajar,  having  first  made  conditions  that  His  Majesty  was 
to  peruse  the  whole,  and  favour  me  with  his  opinion  of  the 
style,  etc. 

Previous  to  delivering  the  book  to  the  Shah,  I  employed 
transcribers  to  make  some  copies  of  it,  which  I  distributed 
to  Hajji  Mahomed  Hussein  Khan,  Prince  of  Maru,  Mirza 
Abdulwahab,  and  other  men  of  learning  and  rank  im- 
mediately about  the  person  of  the  king,  who,  being  chiefly 
converts  to  the  Soofi  philosophy,  would,  I  felt  certain,  give 
it  a  fair  judgment,  and,  if  called  upon  by  the  Shah  for 
their  opinion,  report  of  it  according  to  its  intrinsic  merits. 

The  enclosed  translation  of  a  letter  from  His  Persian 
Majesty  to  me  will  show  your  Lordship  that  he  thinks  the 
complete  work  a  great  acquisition,  and  that  he  approves  of 
the  simple  style  adopted  by  my  lamented  friend  Martyn 
and  his  able  coadjutor,  Mirza  Sayyed  Ali,  so  appropriate  to 
the  just  and  ready  conception  of  the  sublime  morality  of 
the  Sacred  Writings.  Should  the  Society  express  a  wish 
to  possess  the  original  letter  from  the  Shah,  or  a  copy  of  it 
in  Persian,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  present  either  through 
}-our  Lordship. 

I  beg  leave  to  add  that,  if  a  correct  copy  of  Mr. 
Martyn's  translation  has  not  yet  been  presented  to  the 
Society,  I  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  offering  one  that  has 
been  copied  from  and  collated  with  the  original  left  with 
me  by  Mr.  Martyn,  on  which  he  had  bestowed  the  greatest 
pains  to  render  it  perfect. 

I  also  promise  to  devote  my  leisure  to  the  correction  of 
the  press,  in  the  event  of  your  thinking  proper  to  have 
it    printed    in    England,  should    my    Sovereign    not  have 


486  HENR  Y  MA  R  T  YN 

immediate   occasion  for  my  services  out  of  England. — I 
am,  etc. 

Gore  Ouseley. 

Translation  of  His  Persian  Majesty's  Letter^ 
referred  to  in  the  preceding. 

In  the  Name  of  the  Almighty  God,  whose  glory  is  most 

excellent. 

It  is  our  august  command  that  the  dignified  and  excellent 
our  trusty,  faithful,  and  loyal  well-wisher.  Sir  Gore  Ouseley, 
Baronet,  His  Britannic  Majesty's  Ambassador  Extra- 
ordinary (after  being  honoured  and  exalted  with  the  ex- 
pressions of  our  highest  regard  and  consideration),  should 
know  that  the  copy  of  the  Gospel,  which  was  trans- 
lated into  Persian  by  the  learned  exertions  of  the  late 
Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  and  which  has  been  presented  to 
us  by  your  Excellency  on  the  part  of  the  high,  dignified, 
learned,  and  enlightened  Society  of  Christians,  united  for 
the  purpose  of  spreading  abroad  the  Holy  Books  of  the 
religion  of  Jesus  (upon  whom,  and  upon  all  prophets,  be 
peace  and  blessings  !),  has  reached  us,  and  has  proved  highly 
acceptable  to  our  august  mind. 

In  truth,  through  the  learned  and  unremitted  exertions 
of  the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  it  has  been  translated  in  a 
style  most  befitting  sacred  books,  that  is,  in  an  easy  and 
simple  diction.  Formerly,  the  four  Evangelists,  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke,  and  John,  were  known  in  Persia  ;  but  now 
the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  is  completed  in  a  most 
excellent  manner :  and  this  circumstance  has  been  an 
additional  source  of  pleasure  to  our  enlightened  and 
august  mind.  P2ven  the  four  Evangelists  which  were 
known  in  this  country  had  never  been  before  explained  in 
so  clear  and  luminous  a  manner.  We,  therefore,  have  been 
particularly  delighted  with  this  copious  and  complete 
translation.     If  it  please  the  most  merciful  God,  we  shall 


-     SHIRAZ    TO    TABREEZ  487 

command  the  Select  Servants,  who  are  admitted  to  our 
presence,  to  read'  to  us  the  above-mentioned  book  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end,  that  we  may,  in  the  most  minute 
manner,  hear  and  comprehend  its  contents. 

Your  Excellency  will  be  pleased  to  rejoice  the  hearts 
of  the  above-mentioned  dignified,  learned,  and  enlightened 
Society  with  assurances  of  our  highest  regard  and  appro- 
bation ;  and  to  inform  those  excellent  individuals  who  are 
so  virtuously  engaged  in  disseminating  and  making  known 
the  true  meaning  and  intent  of  the  Holy  Gospel,  and  other 
points  in  sacred  books,  that  they  are  deservedly  honoured 
with  our  royal  favour.  Your  Excellency  must  consider 
yourself  as  bound  to  fulfil  this  royal  request. 

Given  in  Rebialavil,  1229. 

(Sealed)         Fateh   Ali   Shah   Kajar. 

Even  here  we  see  Martyn  and  Carey  once  more  linked 
together.  The  same  volume  from  which  we  have  taken 
these  letters  contains,  a  few  pages  before  them,  tliese 
words  written  by  Dr.  Carey  from  Serampore  :  '  Religion  is 
the  only  thing  in  the  world  worth  living  for.  And  no  work 
is  so  important  as  serving  God  in  the  Gospel  of  His  Son  ; 
if,  like  the  Apostle,  we  do  this  with  one  spirit,  great  will  be 
our  enjoyment  and  abundant  our  reward.' 

Sir  Gore  Ouseley  carried  the  original  MS.  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, where,  happening  to  mention  the  fact  to  the  President 
of  the  Russian  Bible  Society,  Prince  Galitzin  at  once 
begged  that  his  Society,  always  an  honourable  exception 
to  the  intolerance  of  the  Tsar's  Greek   Church,  might  be 

'  I  beg  leave  to  remark  that  the  word  '  Tilawat,'  which  the  translator 
has  rendered  '  read,'  is  an  honourable  signification  of  that  act,  almost  ex- 
clusively applied  to  the  perusing  or  reciting  the  Koran.  The  making  use, 
therefore,  of  this  term  or  expression  shows  the  degree  of  respect  and 
estimation  in  which  the  Shah  holds  the  New  Testament. — Note  by  Sir  Gore 
Ouselejf. 


488  HENRY  MARTYN 

allowed  to  publish  it.  A  set  of  Persian  types  was  specially 
procured.  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  assisted  by  the  Persian  Jaffir 
Khan,  corrected  the  proofs,  and  the  Rev.  R.  Pinkerton,  one 
of  the  Scottish  Mission  to  Karass,  carefully  superintended 
the  printing.  Several  Persians,  resident  in  that  city,  bespoke 
copies  for  their  friends.  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  granted  300/.  towards  the  expenses  of  an  edition 
/of  5,000  copies.  The  first  edition  appeared  there  in 
I  September,  181 5,  on  which  Prince  Galitzin  wrote  to  Mr. 
Pinkerton,  as  representing  the  Bible  Society  in  London  : 

Praise  be  given  to  the  incomprehensible  counsels  of 
God,  who,  for  the  salvation  of  man,  gave  His  Word,  and 
causeth  it  to  increase  among  all  nations  :  who  useth  as 
His  instruments  the  inhabitants  of  countries  of  different 
languages  and  tribes,  not  unfrequently  the  most  distant 
from  each  other  and  altogether  unacquainted  with  those 
for  whom  they  labour !  This  is  a  true  sign  of  the  holy 
will  of  God  respecting  this  work,  who  worketh  all  and  in 
all.  This  is  the  case  with  the  finished  edition  of  the 
Persian  New  Testament,  which  was  translated  into  that 
language  in  a  far  distant  part  of  Asia,  and  prepared  to  be 
printed  in  another,  but  brought  into  Russia  (where  npthing 
of  the  kind  was  ever  thought  of)  and  printed  off  much 
sooner  than  was  at  first  intended.  Here  men  were  found 
endowed  with  good-will  and  the  requisite  qualifications  for 
the  completion  of  this  work,  which  at  first  seemed  to  be  so 
difficult 

Meanwhile,  Martyn  himself  having  directed  that  a  copy 
of  the  manuscript  translation  should  be  sent  to  Calcutta 
from  Shiraz,  when  he  left  that  city,  four  copies  were  made, 
lest  any  accident  should  befall  it  on  the  way  to  Bengal. 
It  reached  the  Calcutta  Corresponding  Committee  in  18 14, 
and  they  invited  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  to  join  them  and  pass 


SHIRAZ   TO   TABREEZ  489 

it  through  the  press.  This  second  edition  accordingly  s, 
appeared  at  Calcutta  in  18 16.  Professor  Lee,  of  Cambridge,"^ 
published  a  third  edition  of  it  in  London  in  1827,  and  a 
fourth  in  1837.  The  most  beautiful  and  valuable  of  all  is 
the  fifth,  now  before  the  writer,  which  Thomas  Constable 
printed  in  Edinburgh  in  1846  (corresponding  to  1262  of 
the  HijraJi)  in  three  royal  octavo  volumes.  This  was  also 
the  most  important  because  it  accompanied  a  Persian 
translation  of  the  Old  Testament.  Mirza  Sayyid  Ali  had 
early  informed  the  Calcutta  Committee  that  he  had  his 
master's  original  translation  of  the  Psalter,  and  this  also 
appeared  at  Calcutta  in  18 16.  This  formed  the  nucleus 
of  the  Persian  Old  Testament  prepared  by  Dr.  W.  Glen,  y 
of  the  Scottish  Missionary  Society's  Mission,  at  Karass, 
Astrakhan,  and  printed  along  with  Henry  Martyn's  New 
Testament  in  the  memorable  and  beautiful  Edinburgh 
edition.  That  edition  of  the  whole  Bible  was  presented 
by  Dr.  Glen  to  the  present  Shah  of  Persia,  Nassr-ed-Deen, 
on  his  accession  to  the  throne  in  1848.  With  Martyn's 
New  Testament  His  Majesty  seemed  to  be  well  acquainted. 
Of  the  volume  containing  the  Old  Testament  we  read  that 
*on  handing  the  book  to  the  servant  in  waiting  he  just 
kissed  and  then  put  it  to  his  forehead,  with  the  same  in- 
dication of  reverence  which  he  would  have  shown  had 
it  been  their  own  sacred  book,  the  Koran.'  Archdeacon 
Robinson,  of  Poona,  published  another  Persian  translation 
of  the  Old  Testament.  The  Church  Missionary  Society's 
distinguished  missionary  at  Julfa,  Dr.  Robert  Bruce,  has 
been  for  years  engaged  on  a  revision,  or  rather  new 
translation  of  the  Old  Testament  into  Persian,  the  two 
versions  of  which  are  far  inferior,  in  the  opinion  of  one 
who  is  at  the  head  of  all  living  experts,  to  Henry  Martyn's 


490  HENRY  MARTYN 

translation  of  the  New.     Dr.  Bruce's  work  has  now  been 

completed. 

I  know  no  parallel  to  these  achievements  of  Henry 
Martyn's,  writes  Canon  W.  J.  Edmonds,  closing  a  survey 
of  his  powers  and  services  as  a  translator  of  the  Scriptures. 
There  are  in  him  the  things  that  mark  the  born  translator. 
He  masters  grammar,  observes  idioms,  accumulates  vocabu- 
lary, reads  and  listens,  corrects  and  even  reconstructs. 
Above  all,  he  prays.  He  lives  '  in  the  Spirit,'  and  rises 
from  his  knees  full  of  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.  Pedantry  is 
not  in  him,  nor  vulgarity.  He  longs  and  struggles  to  catch 
the  dialect  in  which  men  may  speak  worthily  of  the  things 
of  God.  And  so  his  work  lives.  In  his  own  Hindustani 
New  Testament,  and  in  the  recovered  parts  of  the  Old 
Testament  in  which  he  watched  over  the  labours  of  Fitrut, 
his  work  is  still  a  living  influence ;  men  find  '  reasons  for 
reverting '  to  it.  His  earlier  Persian,  and  what  is  demon- 
strably distinct  from  it,  his  Persic  translation,  or  rather 
Sabat's,  done  under  his  superintendence,  these  indeed  have 
gone.  They  did  not  survive  his  visit  to  Persia.  Nor  did 
the  Arabic,  which  was  the  chief  acknowledged  motive  of 
his  journey.  But  what  a  gifted  man  is  here,  and  what  a 
splendid  sum  total  of  work,  that  can  afford  these  deductions 
from  the  results  of  a  five  or  six  years'  struggle  with  illness, 
and  still  leave  behind  translations  of  the  New  Testament 
in  Hindustani  and  in  Persian ;  the  Hindustani  version 
living  a  double  life,  its  own  and  that  which  William  Bowley 
gave  it  in  the  humbler  vocabulary  of  the  Hindi  villages ! 
We  live  in  hurrying  times  ;  our  days  are  swifter  than  a 
shuttle.  New  names,  new  saints,  new  heroes  ever  rise  and 
dazzle  the  eyes  of  common  men.  So  it  should  be,  for  God 
lives,  and  through  Him  men  live  and  manifest  His  unex- 
hausted power.  But  Martyn  is  a  perennial.  He  springs 
up  fresh  to  every  generation.  It  is  time,  though,  to  take 
care  that  he  does  not  become  simply  the  shadow  of  an 


SHIRAZ   TO    TABREEZ  491 

angel  passing  by.  His  pinnacle  is  that  lofty  one  which  is 
onl}'  assigned  to  eminent  goodness,  but  it  rests  upon,  and 
is  only  the  finial  of,  a  broad-based  tower  of  sound  and 
solid  intellectual  endowment. 

Henry  Martyn's  Persian  Testament  called  forth,  in 
1 8 16,  two  Bulls  from  Pope  Pius  VHI.,  addressed  to  the 
Archbishops  of  Gnesne  and  Moghilev,  within  the  Russian 
dominions,  and  letters  from  the  Propaganda  College  at  Rome 
to  the  Vicars  Apostolic  and  Missionaries  in  Persia,  Armenia, 
and  other  parts  of  the  East.  Wherever  the  Persian  lan- 
guage was  known  the  people  were  warned  '  against  a  version 
recently  made  into  the  Persian  idiom.'  The  Archbishops 
were  told  '  that  Bibles  printed  by  heretics  are  numbered 
among  the  prohibited  books  by  the  rules  of  the  Index 
(Nos.  H.  and  HI.),  for  it  is  evident,  from  experience,  that 
from  the  Holy  Scriptures  which  are  published  in  the  vulgar 
tongue,  more  injury  than  good  has  arisen  through  the 
temerity  of  men.'  Bible  Societies  in  Russia  and  Great 
Britain  are  denounced  as  a  '  most  crafty  device,  by  which 
the  very  foundations  of  religion  are  undermined.'  So  the 
Latin  Church  has  ever  put  from  it  '  The  Great  Missionary 
which  the  Reformation  was  the  first  to  restore  to  Chris- 
•tendom  and  the  world,  and  Henry  Martyn  gave  to  the 
Mohammedans  in  their  own  tongue. 


492  HENRY  MARTYN 


CHAPTER   Xin 

IN    PERSIA   AND   TURKEY— TABREEZ   TO   TOKAT   AND 
THE   TOMB 

On  the  evening  of  September  2,  18 12,  Henry  Martyn  left 
Tabreez  for  Constantinople,  on  what  he  describes  as  '  my 
long  journey  of  thirteen  hundred  miles.'  The  route  marked 
out  for  him  by  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  who  gave  him  letters  to 
the  Turkish  governors  of  Erivan,  Kars,  and  Erzroom,  and 
to  the  British  Minister  at  Constantinople,  as  well  as  to  the 
Armenian  Patriarch  and  Bishop  Nestus  at  Etchmiatzin,  was 
the  old  Roman  road  into  Central  Asia.  Professor  W.  M. 
Ramsay  describes  it  as  clearly  marked  by  Nature,^  and  still 
one  of  the  most  important  trade  routes.  It  was  the  safest 
and  speediest,  as  well  as  the  least  forbidding.  '  Sir  Gore, 
wishing  me  not  to  travel  in  the  same  unprotected  way  I 
had  done,  procured  from  the  Prince  a  mehviandar  for 
me,  together  with  an  order  for  the  use  of  cJiappar  horses 
all  the  way  to  Erivan.'  Thence  he  was  passed  on  to 
Kars  similarly  attended,  and  thence  to  Erzroom.  He  took 
with  him  '  near  three  hundred  tomans  in  money,'  or  about 
1 30/.  On  the  eve  of  his  departure  he  wrote  :  *  The 
delightful  thought  of  being  brought  to  the  borders  of 
Europe,  without  sustaining  any  injury,  contributed  more 

'    The    Historical    Geography   of   Asia    Minor,    vol.    iv.    of    the    Royal 
Geographical  Society's  Supplementary  Papers,  John  Murray,  1890. 


IN  PERSIA   AND   TURKEY  493 

than  anything  else,  I  believe,  to  restore  my  health  and 
spirits/ 

But  travelling  in  Persia  and  Asiatic  Turkey,  even  at 
the  best  and  for  the  strongest,  is  necessarily  a  work  of 
hardship.  The  chappar^  or  post-stations,  occur  at  a  distance 
of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles,  measured  by  the 
farsakh,  the  old  parasang  in  Greek  phrase,  of  four  miles 
each.  What  Mrs.  Bishop  has  recently  described  has  always 
been  true  :  '  The  custom  is  to  ride  through  all  the  hours 
of  daylight,  whenever  horses  are  to  be  got,  doing  from 
sixty  to  ninety  miles  a  day.'  Henry  Martyn  rode  his  own 
horses,  and  his  party  of  two  Armenian  servants  (a  groom 
and  Turkish  interpreter),  with  the  inehmandar,  had  the 
post-horses.  Out  of  the  cities  he  had  to  trust,  for  rest  and 
accommodation,  to  the  post-stations,  which  at  the  best  were 
enclosures  of  mud  walls  on  three  sides,  deep  in  manure,  with 
stabling  on  two  sides,  and  two  dark  rooms  at  the  entrance 
for  the  servants.  Occasionally  an  erection  {balakhanci) 
above  the  gateway  is  available  for  the  master,  but  how 
seldom  Martyn  was  lodged  in  any  way  better  than  the 
animals,  will  be  seen  from  his  Journal.  He  had  travelled 
in  this  way,  in  the  heats  of  two  summers,  from  Bushire  to 
Shiraz,  and  from  Shiraz  to  Tabreez,  the  whole  extent  of  the 
Persian  plateau  from  south  to  north.  He  had  nearly  died 
at  Tabreez. 

Yet  now,  with  his  Persian  New  Testament  ready  for  the 
press  and  his  longing  for  Lydia,  he  again  set  forth,  sustained 
by  '  the  delightful  thought'  With  intensest  interest  we 
follow  him  in  every  step  of  his  march  north-west  through 
the  Persian  province  of  Azerbaijan,  Armenia,  and  Eastern 
Asia  Minor,  the  unconquerable  spirit  sustaining  the  feeble 
body  for  forty-five  days,  as  Chrysostom's  was  fed  in  his 


494  HENRY  MARTYN 

southern  journey  to  the  same  place  of  departure  almost 
within  sight  of  the  Euxine  Sea. 

1812,  September  2. — At  sunset  we  left  the  western  gate 
of  Tabreez  behind  us.  The  horses  proved  to  be  sorry- 
animals.  It  was  midnight  before  we  arrived  at  Sangla, 
a  village  in  the  middle  of  the  plain  of  Tabreez.  There 
they  procured  me  a  place  in  the  Zabit's  house.  I  slept 
till  after  sunrise  of  the  3rd,  and  did  not  choose  to  pro- 
ceed at  such  an  hour  ;  so  I  passed  most  of  the  day  in 
my  room.  At  three  in  the  afternoon  proceeded  towards 
Sofian.  My  health  being  again  restored,  through  in- 
finite and  unbounded  mercy,  I  was  able  to  look  round 
the  creation  with  calm  delight.  The  plain  of  Tabreez, 
towards  the  west  and  south-west,  stretches  away  to  an 
immense  distance,  and  is  bounded  in  these  directions  by 
mountains  so  remote  as  to  appear,  from  their  soft  blue,  to 
blend  with  the  skies.  The  baggage  having  been  sent  on 
before,  I  ambled  on  with  my  viehmandar,  looking  all 
around  me,  and  especially  towards  the  distant  hills,  with 
gratitude  and  joy.  Oh  !  it  is  necessary  to  have  been  con- 
fined to  a  bed  of  sickness  to  know  the  delight  of  moving 
freely  through  the  works  of  God,  with  the  senses  left  at 
liberty  to  enjoy  their  proper  object.  My  attendant  not 
being  very  conversant  with  Persian,  we  rode  silently  along  ; 
for  my  part,  I  could  not  have  enjoyed  any  companion  so 
much  as  I  did  my  own  feelings.  At  sunset  we  reached 
Sofian,  a  village  with  gardens,  at  the  north-west  end  of  the 
plain,  which  is  usually  the  first  stage  from  Tabreez.  The 
Zabit  was  in  his  corn-field,  under  a  little  tent,  inspecting 
his  labourers,  who  were  cutting  the  straw  fine,  so  as  to  be 
fit  to  be  eaten  by  cattle  ;  this  was  done  by  drawing  over 
it  a  cylinder,  armed  with  blades  of  a  triangular  form, 
placed  in  different  planes,  so  that  their  vertices  should 
coincide  in  the  cylinder. 

The  Zabit  paid  me  no  attention,  but  sent  a  man  to 


IN  PERSIA  AND   TURKEY  495 

show  me  a  place  to  sleep  in,  who  took  me  to  one  with 
only  three  walls.  I  demanded  another  with  four,  and  was 
accordingly  conducted  to  a  weaver's,  where,  notwithstand- 
ing the  mosquitoes  and  other  vermin,  I  passed  the  night 
comfortably  enough.  On  my  offering  money,  the  ineh- 
mandar  interfered,  and  said  that  if  it  were  known  that  I 
had  given  money  he  should  be  ruined,  and  added  :  '  They, 
indeed,  dare  not  take  it ; '  but  this  I  did  not  find  to  be  the 
case, 

September  4. — At  sunrise  mounted  my  horse,  and  pro- 
ceeded north-west,  through  a  pass  in  the  mountains, 
towards  Murun.  By  the  way  I  sat  down  by  the  brook, 
and  there  ate  my  bread  and  raisins,  and  drank  of  the 
crystal  stream  ;  but  either  the  coldness  of  this  unusual 
breakfast,  or  the  riding  after  it,  did  not  at  all  agree  with 
me.  The  heat  oppressed  me  much,  and  the  road  seemed 
intolerably  tedious.     At  last  we  got  out  from  among  the  r-^^-^ 

mountains,  and  saw  the  village  of  Murun,  in  a  fine  valley 
on  the  right.  It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  when  we  reached 
it.  As  the  meJimandar  could  not  immediately  find  a  place 
to  put  me  in,  we  had  a  complete  view  of  this  village.  They 
stared  at  my  European  dress,  but  no  disrespect  was  shown. 
I  was  deposited  at  last  with  a  Khan,  who  was  seated 
in  a  place  with  three  walls.  Not  at  all  disposed  to  pass 
the  day  in  company,  as  well  as  exposed,  I  asked  for 
another  room,  on  which  I  was  shown  to  the  stable,  where 
there  was  a  little  place  partitioned  off,  but  so  as  to  admit 
a  view  of  the  horses.  The  smell  of  the  stable,  though  not 
in  general  disagreeable  to  me,  was  so  strong  that  I  was 
quite  unwell,  and  strangely  dispirited  and  melancholy. 
Immediately  after  dinner  I  fell  fast  asleep  and  slept  four 
hours,  after  which  I  rose  and  ordered  them  to  prepare  for 
the  next  journey.  The  horses  being  changed  here,  it  was 
some  time  before  they  were  brought,  but,  by  exerting 
myself,  we  moved  off  by  midnight.  It  was  a  most  mild 
and  delightful  night,  and  the  pure  air,  after  the  smell  of 


496  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  stable,  was  quite  reviving.  For  once,  also,  I  travelled 
all  the  way  without  being  sleepy  ;  and  beguiled  the  hours 
of  the  way  by  thinking  of  the  14th  Psalm,  especially  the 
connection  of  the  last  three  verses  with  the  preceding. 

September  5. — In  five  hours  we  were  just  on  the  hills 
which  face  the  pass  out  of  the  valley  of  Murun  (Maraud), 
and  in  four  hours  and  a  half  more  emerged  from  between 
the  two  ridges  of  mountains  into  the  valley  of  Gurjur. 
Gurjur  is  eight  parasangs  from  Murun,  and  our  course  to 
it  was  nearly  due  north.  This  long  march  was  far  from 
being  a  fatiguing  one.  The  air,  the  road,  and  my  spirits 
were  good.  Here  I  was  well  accommodated,  but  had  to 
/  mourn  over  my  impatient  temper  towards  my  servants ;  there 
is  nothing  that  disturbs  my  peace  so  much.  How  much 
more  noble  and  godlike  to  bear  with  calmness,  and  observe 
with  pity,  rather  than  with  anger,  the  failings  and  offences 
of  others !  Oh,  that  I  may,  through  grace,  be  enabled  to 
recollect  myself  in  the  time  of  temptation !  Oh,  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  may  check  my  folly,  and  at  such  times  bring 
the  lowly  Saviour  to  my  view  ! 

September  6. — Soon  after  twelve  we  started  with  fresh 
horses,  and  came  to  the  Aras,  or  Araxes,  distant  two 
parasangs,  and  about  as  broad  as  the  Isis,  and  a  current 
as  strong  as  that  of  the  Ganges.  The  ferry-boat  being  on 
the  north  side,  I  lay  down  to  sleep  till  it  came ;  but  ob- 
serving my  servants  do  the  same,  I  was  obliged  to  get  up 
and  exert  myself  It  dawned,  however,  before  we  got  over. 
The  boat  was  a  huge  fabric  in  the  form  of  a  rhombus.  The 
ferryman  had  only  a  stick  to  push  with  ;  an  oar,  I  dare 
say,  he  had  never  seen  or  heard  of,  and  many  of  my  train 
had  probably  never  floated  before ; — so  alien  is  a  Persian 
from  everything  that  belongs  to  shipping.  We  landed 
safely  on  the  other  side  in  about  two  minutes.  We  were 
four  hours  in  reaching  Nakshan,  and  for  half  an  hour  more 
I  was  led  from  street  to  street,  till  at  last  I  was  lodged  in 
a  wash-house  belonging  to  a  great  man,  a  corner  of  which 


IN  PERSIA   AND  TURKEY  497 

was  cleaned  out  for  me.  It  was  near  noon  and  my  baggage 
was  not  arrived,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  go  without  my 
breakfast,  which  was  hard  after  a  ride  of  four  hours  in  the 
sun.  The  baggage  was  delayed  so  long  that  I  began  to 
fear ;  at  last,  however,  it  arrived.  All  the  afternoon  I 
slept,  and  at  sunset  arose,  and  continued  wakeful  till  mid- 
night, when  I  aroused  my  people,  and  with  fresh  horses 
set  out  again.  We  travelled  till  sunrise.  I  scarcely 
perceived  that  we  had  been  moving,  a  Hebrew  word  in  the 
1 6th  Psalm  having  led  me  gradually  into  speculations  on 
the  eighth  conjugation  of  the  Arabic  verb.  I  am  glad  my 
philological  curiosity  is  revived,  as  my  mind  will  be  less 
liable  to  idleness. 

September  J. — Arrived  at  Khok,  a  poor  village,  distant 
five  and  a  half  parasangs  from  Nakshan,  nearly  west.  I 
should  have  mentioned  that,  on  descending  into  the  plain 
of  Nakshan,  my  attention  was  arrested  by  the  appearance 
of  a  hoary  mountain  opposite  to  us  at  the  other  end,  rising 
so  high  above  the  rest  that  they  sank  into  insignificance. 
It  was  truly  sublime,  and  the  interest  it  excited  was  not 
lessened  when,  on  inquiring  its  name,  I  was  told  it  was 
Agri,  or  Ararat.  Thus  I  saw  two  remarkable  objects  in 
one  day,  the  Araxes  and  Ararat.  At  four  in  the  afternoon 
we  set  out  for  Shurour.  The  evening  was  pleasant ;  the 
ground  over  which  we  passed  was  full  of  rich  cultivation 
and  verdure,  watered  by  many  a  stream,  and  containing 
forty  villages,  most  of  them  with  the  usual  appendage  of 
gardens.  To  add  to  the  scene,  the  great  Ararat  was  on 
our  left.  On  the  peak  of  that  hill  the  whole  Church  was 
once  contained  ;  it  was  now  spread  far  and  wide,  even  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth,  but  the  ancient  vicinity  of  it  knows 
it  no  more.  I  fancied  many  a  spot  where  Noah  perhaps 
offered  his  sacrifices  ;  and  the  promise  of  God,  that  seed- 
time and  harvest  should  not  cease,  appeared  to  me  to  be 
more  exactly  fulfilled  in  the  agreeable  plain  in  which  it 
was  spoken  than  elsewhere,  as  I  had  not  seen  such  fertility 

K  K 


v/ 


498  HENRY  MARTYN 

in  any  part  of  the  Shah's  dominions.  Here  the  blessed 
saint  landed  in  a  new  world  ;  so  may  I,  safe  in  Christ,  out- 
ride the  storm  of  life,  and  land  at  last  on  one  of  the  ever- 
lasting hills ! 

Night  coming  on  we  lost  our  way,  and  got  intercepted 
by  some  deep  ravines,  into  one  of  which  the  horse  that 
carried  my  trunks  sunk  so  deep  that  the  water  got  into 
one  of  them,  wetted  the  linen  and  spoiled  some  books. 
Finding  it  in  vain  to  attempt  gaining  our  viunzil,  we  went 
to  another  village,  where,  after  a  long  delay,  two  aged  men 
with  silver  beards  opened  their  house  to  us.  Though  it 
was  near  midnight  I  had  a  fire  lighted  to  dry  my  books, 
took  some  coffee  and  sunk  into  deep  sleep  ;  from  which 
awaking  at  the  earliest  dawn  of 

September  8,  I  roused  the  people,  and  had  a  delightful 
ride  of  one  parasang  to  Shurour,  distant  four  parasangs 
from  Khok.  Here  I  was  accommodated  by  the  great  man 
with  a  stable,  or  winter  room,  for  they  built  it  in  such  a 
strange  vicinity  in  order  to  have  it  warm  in  winter.  At 
present,  while  the  weather  is  still  hot,  the  smell  is  at  times 
overpowering.  At  eleven  at  night  we  moved  off,  with  fresh 
horses,  for  Duwala ;  but  though  we  had  guides  in  abun- 
dance, we  were  not  able  to  extricate  ourselves  from  the 
ravines  with  which  this  village  is  surrounded.  Procuring 
another  man  from  a  village  we  happened  to  wander  into, 
we  at  last  made  our  way,  through  grass  and  mire,  to  the 
pass,  which  led  us  to  a  country  as  dry  as  the  one  we  had 
left  was  wet.  Ararat  was  now  quite  near  ;  at  the  foot  of  it 
is  Duwala,  six  parasangs  from  Nakshan,  where  we  arrived 
at  seven  in  the  morning  of 

September  9. — As  I  had  been  thinking  all  night  of  a 
Hebrew  letter,  I  perceived  little  of  the  tediousness  of  the 
way.  I  tried  also  some  difficulties  in  the  i6th  Psalm 
without  being  able  to  master  them.  All  day  on  the  1 5th 
and  i6th  Psalms,  and  gained  some  h'ght  into  the  difficulties. 
The  villagers  not  bringing  the  horses  in  time,  we  were  not 


IN  PERSIA   AND    TURKEY  499 

able  to  go  on  at  night,  but  I  was  not  much  concerned,  as 
I  thereby  gained  some  rest. 

September  10. — All  day  at  the  village  writing  down 
notes  on  the  15th  and  i6th  Psalms.  Moved  at  midnight, 
and  arrived  early  in  the  morning  at  Erivan. 

September  1 1. — I  alighted  at  Hosein  Khan,  the  governor's 
palace,  as  it  may  be  called,  for  he  seems  to  live  in  a  style 
equal  to  that  of  a  prince.  Indeed,  commanding  a  fortress 
on  the  frontier,  within  six  hours  of  the  Russians,  he  is  en- 
trusted with  a  considerable  force,  and  is  nearly  independent 
of  the  Shah.  After  sleeping  two  hours  I  was  summoned 
to  his  presence.  He  at  first  took  no  notice  of  me,  but 
continued  reading  his  Koran,  it  being  the  Mohurrum. 
After  a  compliment  or  two  he  resumed  his  devotions. 
The  next  ceremony  was  to  exchange  a  rich  shawl  dress  for 
a  still  richer  pelisse,  on  pretence  of  its  being  cold.  The 
next  display  was  to  call  for  his  physician,  who,  after  re- 
spectfully feeling  his  pulse,  stood  on  one  side :  this  was  to 
show  that  he  had  a  domestic  physician.  His  servants 
were  most  richly  clad.  My  letter  from  the  ambassador, 
which  till  now  had  lain  neglected  on  the  ground,  was 
opened  and  read  by  a  moonshi.  He  heard  with  great 
interest  what  Sir  Gore  had  written  about  the  translation  of 
the  Gospels.  After  this  he  was  very  kind  and  attentive, 
and  sent  for  Lieutenant  M.,  of  the  Engineers,  who  was 
stationed,  with  two  sergeants,  at  the  fort.  He  ordered  for 
me  a  me/unandar,  a  guard,  and  four  horses  with  which  a 
Turk  had  just  come  from  Kars. 

September  12. — The  horses  not  being  ready,  I  rode 
alone  and  found  my  way  to  Etchmiatzin  (or  Three 
Churches '),  two  and  a  half  parasangs  distant.  Directing 
my  course  to  the  largest  church,  I  found  it  enclosed  by 
some  other  buildings  and  a  wall.  Within  the  entrance 
I   found  a  large   court,  with  monks  cowled  and  gowned 

'  In    his  valuable  book    Tratiscaucasia  ami  Ararat    (1877),  Mr.  James 
Bryce,  M.P.,  gives  the  meaning  as  '  The  Only-Begotten  descended.' 

K  K  2 


500  HENRY  MARTYN 

moving  about.  On  seeing  my  Armenian  letters  they 
brought  me  to  the  Patriarch's  lodge,  where  I  found  two 
bishops,  one  of  whom  was  Nestus,  at  breakfast  on  pilaos, 

,.    kuwabs,  wine,  arrak,  etc.,  and  Serst_(Sergpe)  with  them. 

\    As  he  spoke  English,  French,  and  Italian,  I  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  communicating  with  my  hosts. 

Serope,  considering  the  danger  to  which  the  cathedral- 
seat  is  exposed  from  its  situation  between  Russia,  Persia, 
and  Turkey,  is  for  building  a  college  at  Tiflis.  The  errors 
and  superstitions  of  his  people  were  the  subject  of  Serope's 
conversation  the  whole  morning,  and  seemed  to  be  the 
occasion  of  real  grief  to  him.  He  intended,  he  said,  after 
a  few  more  months'  trial  of  what  he  could  do  here,  to 
retire  to  India,  and  there  write  and  print  some  works  in 
Armenian,  tending  to  enlighten  the  people  with  regard  to 
religion,  in  order  to  introduce  a  reform.  I  said  all  I  could 
to  encourage  him  in  such  a  blessed  work  :  promising  him 
every  aid  from  the  English,  and  proving  to  him,  from  the 
example  of  Luther  and  the  other  European  reformers, 
that,  however  arduous  the  work  might  seem,  God  would 
surely  be  with  him  to  help  him.  I  mentioned  the  awful 
^^  neglect  of  the  Armenian  clergy  in  never  preaching ;  as 
thereby  the  glad  tidings  of  a  Saviour  were  never  proclaimed. 
He  made  no  reply  to  this,  but  that  '  it  was  to  be  lamented, 
as  the  people  were  never  called  away  from  vice.' 

September  13. — I  asked  Serope  about  the  i6th  Psalm 
in  the  Armenian  version  ;  he  translated  it  into  correct 
Latin.  In  the  afternoon  I  waited  on  the  Patriarch  ;  it  was 
a  visit  of  great  ceremony.  He  was  reclining  on  a  sort  of 
throne,  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  All  stood  ex- 
cept the  two  senior  bishops  ;  a  chair  was  set  for  me  on  the 
other  side,  close  to  the  Patriarch  ;  at  my  right  hand  stood 
Serope,  to  interpret.  The  Patriarch  had  a  dignified 
rather  than  a  venerable  appearance.  His  conversation 
consisted  in  protestations  of  sincere  attachment,  in  expres- 
sions of  his  hopes  of  deliverance  from  the  Mohammedan 


IN  PERSIA   AND    TURKEY  501 

yoke,  and  inquiries  about  my  translations  of  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  and  he  begged  me  to  consider  myself  as  at  home 
in  the  monastery.  Indeed,  their  attention  and  kindness 
are  unbounded  :  Nestus  and  Serope  anticipate  my  every 
wish  I  told  the  Patriarch  that  I  was  so  happy  in  being 
here  that,  did  duty  permit,  I  could  almost  be  willing 
to  become  a  monk  with  them.  He  smiled,  and  fearing, 
perhaps,  that  I  was  in  earnest,  said  that  they  had  quite 
enough.  Their  number  is  a  hundred,  I  think.  The  church  ^ 
was  immensely  rich  till  about  ten  years  ago,  when,  by 
quarrels  between  two  contending  patriarchs,  one  of  whom 
is  still  in  the  monastery  in  disgrace,  most  of  their  money 
was  expended  in  referring  their  disputes  to  the  Moham- 
medans as  arbitrators.  There  is  no  difficulty,  however,  in 
replenishing  their  coffers :  their  merchants  in  India  are 
entirely  at  their  command. 

September  1 5. — Spent  the  day  in  preparing,  with  Serope, 
for  the  mode  of  travelling  in  Turkey.  All  my  heavy  and 
expensive  preparations  at  Tabreez  prove  to  be  incumbrances 
which  must  be  left  behind  :  my  trunks  were  exchanged 
for  bags  ;  and  my  portable  table  and  chair,  several  books, 
large  supplies  of  sugar,  etc.,  were  condemned  to  be  left 
behind.  My  humble  equipments  were  considered  as  too 
mean  for  an  English  gentleman  ;  so  Serope  gave  me  an 
English  bridle  and  saddle.  The  roads  in  Turkey  being 
much  more  infested  with  robbers  than  those  of  Persia,  a 
sword  was  brought  for  me. 

September  16. — Upon  the  whole  I  hardly  know  what 
hopes  to  entertain  from  the  projects  of  Serope.  He  is 
bold,  authoritative,  and  very  able  ;  still  only  thirty-one 
years  of  age  ;  but  then  he  is  not  spiritual  :  perhaps  this  was 
the  state  of  Luther  himself  at  first.  It  is  an  interesting 
time  in  the  world  ;  all  things  proclaim  the  approach  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  Armenia  is  not  forgotten.  There  is 
a  monastery  of  Armenian  Catholics  at  Venice,  which  they 
employ  merely  in  printing  the  Psalter,  book  of  prayers,  etg, 


503  HENRY  MARTYN 

Serope  intends  addressing  his  first  work  to  them,  as  they 
are  the  most  able  divines  of  the  Armenians,  to  argue  them 
back  from  the  Roman  CathoHc  communion,  in  which  case 
he  thinks  they  would  co-operate  with  him  cordially  ;  being 
as  much  concerned  as  himself  at  the  gross  ignorance  of 
their  countrymen.  The  Archbishop  of  Astrakhan  has  a 
press,  also  an  agent  at  Madras  and  one  at  Constantinople, 
printing  the  Scriptures  and  books  of  prayers  :  there  is  none 
at  Etchmiatzin.  At  Constantinople  are  three  or  four 
fellow-collegians  of  Serope,  educated  as  well  as  he  by  the 
Propaganda,  who  used  to  entertain  the  same  sentiments  as 
he,  and  would,  he  thinks,  declare  them  if  he  would  begin. 

September  \y. — At  six  in  the  morning,  accompanied  by 
Serope,  one  bishop,  the  secretary,  and  several  servants  of 
the  monastery,  I  left  Etchmiatzin.  My  party  now  consisted 
of  two  men  from  the  governor  of  Erivan,  a  mehmandar, 
and  a  guard  ;  my  servant  Sergius,  for  whom  the  monks 
interceded,  as  he  had  some  business  at  Constantinople  ; 
one  trusty  servant  from  the  monastery,  Melcom,  who  carried 
my  money  ;  and  two  baggage-horses  with  their  owners. 
The  monks  soon  returned,  and  we  pursued  our  way  over 
the  plain  of  Ararat.  At  twelve  o'clock  reached  Quila  Gazki, 
about  six  parasangs  from  Etchmiatzin.  The  inehmandar 
rode  on,  and  got  a  good  place  for  me. 

September  i8. — Rose  with  the  dawn,  in  hopes  of  going 
this  stage  before  breakfast,  but  the  horses  were  not  ready. 
I  set  off  at  eight,  fearing  no  sun,  though  I  found  it  at  times 
very  oppressive  when  there  was  no  wind.  At  the  end  of 
three  hours  we  left  the  plain  of  Ararat,  the  last  of  the 
plains  of  modern  Persia  in  this  quarter.  Meeting  here 
with  the  Araxes  again,  I  undressed  and  plunged  into  the 
stream.^     While  hastening  forward  with  the  trusty  Melcom 

'  A  few  years  after,  when  Sir  R.  Ker  Porter  was  oi\  the  same  route,  he 
wrote  :  '  This  was  the  spot  where  our  apostolic  countryman,  Henry  Martyn, 
faint  with  fever  and  fatigue,  alighted  to  bathe  on  his  way  to  Tokat.'  There, 
too,  Sir  Robert  was  of  opinion,  Xenophon  and  the  Ten  Thousand  Greeks 
crossed  the  Araxes  2,300  years  ago. 


IN  PERSIA  AND    TURKEY  503 

to  rejoin  my  party,  we  were  overtaken  by  a  spearman  with 
a  lance  of  formidable  length.  I  did  not  think  it  likely  that 
one  man  would  venture  to  attack  two,  both  armed  ;  but 
the  spot  was  a  noted  one  for  robbers,  and  very  well  calcu- 
lated, by  its  solitariness,  for  deeds  of  privacy  ;  however,  he 
was  friendly  enough.  He  had,  however,  nearly  done  me  a 
mischief  On  the  bank  of  the  river  we  sprang  a  covey  of 
partridges ;  instantly  he  laid  his  lance  under  him  across 
the  horse's  back,  and  fired  a  horse-pistol  at  them.  His 
horse,  starting  at  the  report,  came  upon  mine,  with  the 
point  of  the  spear  directly  towards  me,  so  that  I  thought  a 
wound  for  myself  or  horse  was  inevitable ;  but  the  spear 
passed  under  my  horse.  We  were  to  have  gone  to  Haji- 
Buhirem,  but  finding  the  head-man  of  it  at  a  village  a  few 
furlongs  nearer,  we  stopped  there.  We  found  him  in  a 
shed  outside  the  walls,  reading  his  Koran,  with  his  sword, 
gun,  and  pistol  by  his  side.  He  was  a  good-natured  farmer- 
looking  man,  and  spoke  in  Persian.  He  chanted  the  Arabic 
with  great  readiness,  and  asked  me  whether  I  knew  what 
that  book  was  :  '  Nothing  less  than  the  great  Koran  ! ' 

September  19. — Left  the  village  at  seven  in  the  morning, 
and  as  the  stage  was  reputed  to  be  very  dangerous,  owing 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  famous  Kara  Beg,  my  meJimandar 
took  three  armed  men  from  the  village  in  addition  to  the 
one  we  brought  from  Erivan.  We  continued  going  along 
through  the  pass  two  or  three  parasangs,  and  crossed  the 
Araxes  three  times.  We  then  ascended  the  mountains  on 
the  north  by  a  road,  if  not  so  steep,  yet  as  long  and  diffi- 
cult as  any  of  the  kotuls  of  Bushire.  On  the  top  we  found 
a  table-land,  along  which  we  moved  many  a  tedious  mile, 
expecting  every  minute  that  we  should  have  a  view  of  a 
fine  champaign  country  below ;  but  dale  followed  dale, 
apparently  in  endless  succession,  and  though  at  such  a 
height  there  was  very  little  air  to  relieve  the  heat,  and 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  barren  rocks.  One  part,  however, 
must  be  excepted,  where  the  prospect  opened  to  the  north, 


504  HENRY  MARTYN 

and  we  had  a  view  of  the  Russian  territory,  so  that  we 
saw  at  once,  Persia,  Russia,  and  Turkey.  At  length  we 
came  to  an  Armenian  village,  situated  in  a  hollow  of  these 
mountains,  on  a  declivity.  The  village  presented  a  singular 
appearance,  being  filled  with  conical  piles  of  peat,  for  they 
have  no  fire-wood.  Around  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
cultivation,  chiefly  corn.  Most  of  the  low  land  from 
Tabreez  to  this  place  is  planted  with  cotton,  Palma  Chrtsti, 
and  rice.  This  is  the  first  village  in  Turkey  ;  not  a  Persian 
cap  was  to  be  seen,  the  respectable  people  wore  a  red 
Turkish  cap.  The  great  man  of  the  village  paid  me  a  visit; 
he  was  a  young  Mussulman,  and  took  care  of  all  my 
Mussulman  attendants  ;  but  he  left  me  and  my  Armenians, 
where  he  found  us,  at  the  house  of  an  Armenian,  without 
offering  his  services.  I  was  rather  uncomfortably  lodged, 
my  room  being  a  thoroughfare  for  horses,  cows,  buffaloes, 
and  sheep.  Almost  all  the  village  came  to  look  at  me. 
The  name  of  this  village  is  Fiwik,  it  is  distant  six  parasangs 
from  the  last  ;  but  we  were  eight  hours  accomplishing  it, 
and  a  kafila  would  have  been  twelve.  We  arrived  at  three 
o'clock  ;  both  horses  and  men  much  fatigued. 

September  20. — From  daybreak  to  sunrise  I  walked, 
then  breakfasted  and  set  out.  Our  course  lay  north,  over 
a  mountain,  and  here  danger  was  apprehended.  It  was, 
indeed,  dismally  solitary  all  around.  The  appearance  of 
an  old  castle  on  the  top  of  a  crag  was  the  first  occasion  on 
which  our  guard  got  their  pieces  ready,  and  one  rode 
forward  to  reconnoitre :  but  all  there  was  as  silent  as  the 
grave.  At  last,  after  travelling  five  hours,  we  saw  some 
men :  our  guard  again  took  their  places  in  front.  Our  fears 
were  soon  removed  by  seeing  carts  and  oxen.  Not  so  the 
opposite  party :  for  my  baggage  was  so  small  as  not  to  be 
easily  perceived.  They  halted  therefore  at  the  bottom, 
towards  which  we  were  both  descending,  and  those  of  them 
who  had  guns  advanced  in  front  and  hailed  us.  We 
answered  peaceably ;  but  they,  still  distrusting  us  as  we 


IN  PERSIA   AND   TURKEY  505 

advanced  nearer,  cocked  their  pieces.  Soon,  however,  we 
came  to  a  parley.  They  were  Armenians,  bringing  wood 
from  Kars  to  their  village  in  the  mountain  :  they  were 
hardy,  fine  young  men,  and  some  old  men  who  were  with 
them  were  particularly  venerable.  The  dangerous  spots 
being  passed  through,  my  party  began  to  sport  with  their 
horses  :  galloping  across  the  path,  brandishing  their  spears 
or  sticks,  they  darted  them  just  at  that  moment  of  wheeling 
round  their  horses,  as  if  that  motion  gave  them  an  advan- 
tage. It  struck  me  that  this,  probably,  was  the  mode  of 
fighting  of  the  ancient  Parthians  which  made  them  so 
terrible  in  flight.  Presently  after  these  gambols  the  ap- 
pearance of  some  poor  countrymen  with  their  carts  put 
into  their  heads  another  kind  of  sport ;  for  knowing,  from 
the  ill-fame  of  the  spot,  that  we  should  be  easily  taken  for 
robbers,  four  of  them  galloped  forward,  and  by  the  time 
we  reached  them  one  of  the  carters  was  opening  a  bag  to 
give  them  something.  I  was,  of  course,  very  much  dis- 
pleased, and  made  signs  to  him  not  to  do  it.  I  then  told 
them  all,  as  we  quickly  pursued  our  course,  that  such  kind 
of  sport  was  not  allowed  in  England  ;  they  said  it  was  the 
Persian  custom.  We  arrived  at  length  at  Ghanikew,  having 
ridden  six  hours  and  a  half  without  intermission.  The 
meJiniandar  was  for  changing  his  route  continually,  either 
from  real  or  pretended  fear.  One  of  the  Kara  Beg's  men 
saw  me  at  the  village  last  night,  and  as  he  would  probably 
get  intelligence  of  my  pretended  route,  it  was  desirable  to 
elude  him.  But  after  all  we  went  the  shortest  way,  through 
the  midst  of  danger,  if  there  was  any,  and  a  gracious 
Providence  kept  all  mischief  at  a  distance.  Ghanikew  is 
only  two  parasangs  from  Kars,  but  I  stopped  there,  as  I 
saw  it  was  more  agreeable  to  the  people  ;  besides  which  I 
wished  to  have  a  ride  before  breakfast.  I  was  lodged  in  a 
stable-room  ;  but  very  much  at  my  ease,  as  none  of  the 
people  of  the  village  could  come  at  me  without  passing 
through  the  house. 


5o6  HENRY  MARTYN 

September  21. — Rode  into  Kars.  Its  appearance  is 
quite  European,  not  only  at  a  distance  but  within.  The 
houses  all  of  stone ;  streets  with  carts  passing  ;  some  of 
the  houses  open  to  the  street  ;  the  fort  on  an  uncommonly 
high  rock  ;  such  a  burying-ground  I  never  saw,  there  must 
be  thousands  of  gravestones.  The  ineJunandar  carried  me 
directly  to  the  governor,  who,  having  just  finished  his 
breakfast,  was  of  course  asleep,  and  could  not  be  disturbed ; 
but  his  head-man  carried  me  to  an  Armenian's  house,  with 
orders  to  live  at  free  quarter  there.  The  room  at  the 
Armenian's  was  an  excellent  one,  upstairs,  facing  the  street, 
fort,  and  river,  with  a  bow  containing  five  windows  under 
which  were  cushions.  As  soon  as  the  Pacha  was  visible, 
the  chief  Armenian  of  Kars,  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  from 
Bishop  Nestus,  his  relation,  waited  upon  him  on  my  busi- 
ness. On  looking  over  my  letters  of  recommendation  from 
Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  I  found  there  was  none  for  Abdallah,  the 
Pacha  of  Kars  ;  however,  the  letter  to  the  Governor  of 
Erivan  secured  all  I  wanted.  He  sent  to  say  I  was 
welcome  ;  that  if  I  liked  to  stay  a  few  days  he  should  be 
happy,  but  that  if  I  was  determined  to  go  on  to-morrow, 
the  necessary  horses  and  ten  men  for  a  guard  were  all 
ready.  As  no  wish  was  expressed  of  seeing  me,  I  was  of 
course  silent  upon  that  subject. 

September  22. — Promises  were  made  that  everything 
should  be  ready  at  sunrise,  but  it  was  half-past  nine  before 
we  started,  and  no  guard  present  but  the  Tartar.  He 
presently  began  to  show  his  nature  by  flogging  the  bag- 
gage-horse with  his  long  whip,  as  one  who  was  not  disposed 
to  allow  loitering  ;  but  one  of  the  poor  beasts  presently  fell 
with  his  load  at  full  length  over  a  piece  of  timber  lying 
in  the  road.  While  this  was  setting  to  rights,  the  people 
gathered  about  me,  and  seemed  more  engaged  with  my 
Russian  boots  than  with  any  other  part  of  my  dress.  We 
moved  south-west,  and  after  five  hours  and  a  half  reached 
Joula.     The  Tartar  rode  forward  and  got  the  coffee-room 


IN  PERSIA   AND   TURKEY  507 

at  the  post-house  ready.  The  coffee-room  has  one  side 
railed  and  covered  with  cushions,  and  on  the  opposite  side 
cushions  on  the  ground ;  the  rest  of  the  room  was  left  with 
bare  stones  and  timbers.  As  the  wind  blew  very  cold 
yesterday,  and  I  had  caught  cold,  the  Tartar  ordered  a 
great  fire  to  be  made.  In  this  room  I  should  have  been 
very  much  to  my  satisfaction,  had  not  the  Tartar  taken 
part  of  the  same  bench,  and  many  other  people  made  use 
of  it  as  a  public  room.  They  were  continually  consulting 
my  watch  to  know  how  near  the  hour  of  eating  approached. 
It  was  evident  that  the  Tartar  was  the  great  man  here  ;  he 
took  the  best  place  for  himself;  a  dinner  of  four  or  five 
dishes  was  laid  before  him.  When  I  asked  for  eggs  they 
brought  me  rotten  ones  ;  for  butter  they  brought  me  ghee. 
The  idle  people  of  the  village  came  all  night  and  smoked 
till  morning.      It  was  very  cold,  there  being  a  hoar  frost. 

September  23. — Our  way  to-day  lay  through  a  forest 
of  firs,  and  the  variety  of  prospect  it  afforded,  of  hill  and 
dale,  wood  and  lawn,  was  beautiful  and  romantic.  No 
mark  of  human  workmanship  was  anywhere  visible  for 
miles,  except  where  some  trees  had  fallen  by  the  stroke  of 
the  woodman.  We  saw  at  last  a  few  huts  in  the  thickest 
clumps,  which  was  all  we  saw  of  the  Koords,  for  fear 
of  whom  I  was  attended  by  ten  armed  horsemen.  We 
frightened  a  company  of  villagers  again  to-day.  They 
were  bringing  wood  and  grass  from  the  forest,  and  on 
seeing  us  drew  up.  One  of  our  party  advanced  and  fired  ; 
such  a  rash  piece  of  sport  I  thought  must  have  been 
followed  by  serious  mischief,  but  all  passed  off  very  well. 
With  the  forest  I  was  delighted  ;  the  clear  streams  in  the  v^ 
valleys,  the  lofty  trees  crowning  the  summit  of  the  hills, 
the  smooth  paths  winding  away  and  losing  themselves  in 
the  dark  woods,  and,  above  all,  the  solitude  that  reigned 
throughout,  composed  a  scene  which  tended  to  harmonise 
and  solemnise  the  mind.  What  displays  of  taste  and 
magnificence  are  found  occasionally  on  this  ruined  earth! 


5o8  HENRY  MARTYN 

Nothing  was  wanting  to-day  but  the  absence  of  the  Turks, 
to  avoid  the  sight  and  sound  of  whom  I  rode  on.  After  a 
ride  of  nine  hours  and  a  half,  we  reached  Mijingui,  in  the 
territory  of  Erzroom,  and  having  resolved  not  to  be 
annoyed  in  the  same  way  as  last  night,  I  left  the  Tartar  in 
the  undisturbed  possession  of  the  post-house,  and  took  up 
my  quarters  at  an  Armenian's,  where,  in  the  stable-room, 
I  expected  to  be  left  alone  ;  but  a  Georgian  young  man, 
on  his  way  from  Etchmiatzin,  going  on  pilgrimage  to 
Moosk,  where  John  the  Baptist  is  supposed  to  be  buried, 
presumed  on  his  assiduous  attentions  to  me,  and  contrived 
to  get  a  place  for  himself  in  the  same  room. 

September  24. — A  long  and  sultry  march  over  many  a 
hill  and  vale.  In  the  way,  two  hours  from  the  last  stage, 
is  a  hot  spring  ;  the  water  fills  a  pool,  having  four  porches. 
The  porches  instantly  reminded  me  of  Bethesda's  pool  : 
they  were  semicircular  arches  about  six  feet  deep,  intended 
seemingly  for  shelter  from  the  sun.  In  them  all  the  party 
undressed  and  bathed.  The  Tartar,  to  enjoy  himself  more 
perfectly,  had  his  kalean  to  smoke  while  up  to  his  chin  in 
water.  We  saw  nothing  else  on  the  road  to-day  but  a  large 
and  opulent  family  of  Armenians — men,  women,  and 
children—  in  carts  and  carriages  returning  from  a  pilgrimage 
to  Moosk.  After  eleven  hours  and  a  half,  including  the 
hour  spent  at  the  warm  spring,  we  were  overtaken  by  the 
dusk  ;  so  the  Tartar  brought  us  to  Oghoomra,  where  I  was 
placed  in  an  Armenian's  stable-room. 

September  25. — Went  round  to  Husar-Quile,  where  we 
changed  horses.  I  was  surprised  to  find  so  strong  a  fort 
and  so  large  a  town.  From  thence  we  were  five  hours  and 
a  half  reaching  the  entrance  of  Erzroom.  All  was  busy  and 
moving  in  the  streets  and  shops — crowds  passing  along. 
Those  who  caught  a  sight  of  us  were  at  a  loss  to  define  me. 
My  Persian  attendants  and  the  lower  part  of  the  dress 
made  me  appear  Persian  ;  but  the  rest  of  my  dress  was 
new,  for   those  only  who   had    travelled    knew   it   to   be 


IN  PERSIA   AND   TURKEY  509 

European.  They  were  rather  disposed,  I  thought,  to  be 
uncivil,  but  the  two  persons  who  preceded  us  kept  all  in 
order.  I  felt  myself  in  a  Turkish  town  ;  the  red  cap,  and 
stateliness,  and  rich  dress,  and  variety  of  turbans  was 
realised  as  I  had  seen  it  in  pictures.  There  are  here  four 
thousand  Armenian  families  and  but  one  church  ;  there 
are  scarcely  any  Catholics,  and  they  have  no  church. 

September  29.— Left  Erzroom  with  a  Tartar  and  his 
son  at  two  in  the  afternoon.  We  moved  to  a  village,  where 
I  was  attacked  with  fever  and  ague ;  the  Tartar's  son  was 
also  taken  ill  and  obliged  to  return. 

September  30. — Travelled  first  to  Ashgula,  where  we 
changed  horses,  and  from  thence  to  Purnugaban,  where  we 
halted  for  the  night.  I  took  nothing  all  day  but  tea,  and 
was  rather  better,  but  head-ache  and  loss  of  appetite 
depressed  my  spirits  ;  yet  my  soul  rests  in  Him  who  is  '  an 
anchor  to  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast,'  which,  though  not 
seen,  keeps  me  fast. 

October  i. — Marched  over  a  mountainous  tract;  we 
were  out  from  seven  in  the  morning  till  eight  at  night. 
After  sitting  a  little  by  the  fire,  I  was  near  fainting  from 
sickness.  My  depression  of  spirits  led  me  to  the  throne  of 
grace  as  a  sinful  abject  worm.  When  I  thought  of  myself 
and  my  transgressions,  I  could  find  no  text  so  cheering  as 
*  My  ways  are  not  as  your  ways.'  From  the  men  who 
accompanied  Sir  Gore  Ouseley  to  Constantinople  I  learned 
that  the  plague  was  raging  at  that  place,  and  thousands 
dying  every  day.  One  of  the  Persians  had  died  of  it. 
They  added  that  the  inhabitants  of  Tokat  were  flying  from 
their  town  from  the  same  cause.  Thus  I  am  passing 
inevitably  into  imminent  danger.  *  O  Lord,  Thy  will  be 
done  !     Living  or  dying,  remember  me  1 

October  2. —  Some  hours  before  day  I  sent  to  tell  the 
Tartar  I  was  ready,  but  Hassan  Aga  was  for  once  riveted 
to  his  bed.  However,  at  eight,  having  got  strong  horses, 
he  set  off  at  a  great  rate ;  and  over  the  level  ground  he 


510  HENRY  MARTYN 

made  us  gallop  as  fast  as  the  horses  would  go  to  Chifflik, 
where  we  arrived  at  sunset.  I  was  lodged,  at  my  request, 
in  the  stables  of  the  post-house,  not  liking  the  scrutinising 
impudence  of  the  fellows  who  frequent  the  coffee-room. 
As  soon  as  it  began  to  grow  a  little  cold  the  ague  came  on, 
and  then  the  fever  ;  after  which  I  had  a  sleep,  which  let 
me  know  too  plainly  the  disorder  of  my  frame.  In  the 
night  Hassan  sent  to  summon  me  away,  but  I  was  quite 
unable  to  move.  Finding  me  still  in  bed  at  the  dawn,  he 
began  to  storm  furiously  at  my  detaining  him  so  long,  but 
I  quietly  let  him  spend  his  ire,  ate  my  breakfast  composedly, 
and  set  out  at  eight.  He  seemed  determined  to  make  up 
for  the  delay,  for  we  flew  over  hill  and  dale  to  Sherean, 
where  he  changed  horses.  From  thence  we  travelled  all 
the  rest  of  the  day  and  all  night  ;  it  rained  most  of  the 
time.  Soon  after  sunset  the  ague  came  on  again,  which, 
in  my  wet  state,  was  very  trying  ;  I  hardly  knew  how  to 
keep  my  life  in  me.  About  that  time  there  was  a  village 
at  hand,  but  Hassan  had  no  mercy.  At  one  in  the  morn- 
ing we  found  two  men  under  a  wain,  with  a  good  fire ;  they 
could  not  keep  the  rain  out,  but  their  fire  was  acceptable. 
I  dried  my  lower  extremities,  allayed  the  fever  by  drinking 
a  good  deal  of  water,  and  went  on.  We  had  little  rain,  but 
the  night  was  pitchy  dark  so  that  I  could  not  see  the  road 
under  my  horse's  feet.  However,  God  being  mercifully 
pleased  to  alleviate  my  bodily  suffering,  I  went  on  con- 
tentedly to  the  viunzil,  where  we  arrived  at  break  of  day. 
After  sleeping  three  or  four  hours,  I  was  visited  by  an  Arme- 
nian merchant  for  whom  I  had  a  letter.  Hassan  was  in 
great  fear  of  being  arrested  here  ;  the  Governor  of  the  city 
had  vowed  to  make  an  example  of  him  for  riding  to  death 
a  horse  belonging  to  a  man  of  this  place.  He  begged  that 
I  would  shelter  him  in  case  of  danger  ;  his  being  claimed 
by  an  Englishman,  he  said,  would  be  a  sufficient  security. 
I  found,  however,  that  I  had  no  occasion  to  interfere.  He 
hurried    me   away    from    this    place    without    delay,    and 


IN  PERSIA  AND    TURKEY  Jii 

galloped  furiously  towards  a  village,  which,  he  said,  was 
four  hours  distant,  which  was  all  I  could  undertake  in  my 
present  weak  state  ;  but  village  after  village  did  he  pass  till, 
night  coming  on,  and  no  signs  of  another,  I  suspected  that 
he  was  carrying  me  on  to  the  munzil;  so  I  got  off  my 
horse  and  sat  upon  the  ground,  and  told  him  '  I  neither 
could  nor  would  go  any  farther.'  He  stormed,  but  I  was 
immovable,  till,  a  light  appearing  at  a  distance,  I  mounted 
my  horse  and  made  towards  it,  leaving  him  to  follow  or 
not,  as  he  pleased.  He  brought  in  the  party,  but  would 
not  exert  himself  to  get  a  place  for  me.  They  brought 
me  to  an  open  verandah,  but  Sergius  told  them  I  wanted 
a  place  in  which  to  be  alone.  This  seemed  very  offensive 
to  them.  '  And  why  must  he  be  alone } '  they  asked, 
ascribing  this  desire  of  mine  to  pride,  I  suppose.  Tempted 
at  last  by  money,  they  brought  me  to  a  stable-room,  and 
Hassan  and  a  number  of  others  planted  themselves  there 
with  me.  My  fever  here  increased  to  a  violent  degree  ;  the 
heat  in  my  eyes  and  forehead  was  so  great  that  the  fire 
almost  made  me  frantic.  I  entreated  that  it  might  be  put 
out,  or  that  I  might  be  carried  out  of  doors.  Neither  was 
attended  to  ;  my  servant,  who,  from  my  sitting  in  that 
strange  way  on  the  ground,  believed  me  delirious,  was  deaf 
to  all  I  said.  At  last  I  pushed  my  head  among  the  luggage, 
and  lodged  it  on  the  damp  ground,  and  slept. 

From  Sherean,  or  Sheheran,  out  of  which,  after  a  night 
of  burning  fever  in  the  stable  of  the  Chifflik  post-station, 
Hassan  furiously  compelled  the  dying  man  to  ride,  is  a 
mountain  track  of  a  hundred  and  seventy  miles  to  Tokat. 
'  How  wearisome  and  painful  must  have  been  his  journey 
over  the  mountains  and  valleys ! '  wrote  the  American 
missionaries,  Eli  Smith  and  H.  O.  Dwight,  eighteen  years  v 
after,  when,  in  the  vigour  of  health  and  at  a  better  season, 
they  made  the  same  journey,  called  by  his  example  and 


512  HENRY  MARTYN 

memory,  to  found  the  Mission  to  Eastern  Anatolia.  Think 
of  him,  wasting  away  from  consumption,  racked  with  ague, 
burning  with  fever,  as,  pressed  by  the  merciless  Turk,  he 
'flew  over  hill  and  dale '  all  the  third  day  of  October,  from 
eight  in  the  morning,  then  changed  horses  at  Sheheran, 
then  '  travelled  all  the  rest  of  the  day  and  all  night '  of  the 
3rd-4th,  while  the  rain  fell  amid  darkness  that  could 
be  felt ;  then,  after  three  or  four  hours'  sleep,  on  break 
of  day  again  hurried  on,  lest  his  guide  should  be  arrested 
for  a  former  offence  of  *  riding  to  death  a  horse  belonging 
to  a  man  of  this  place,'  all  the  fourth  day,  till  almost 
expiring  he  sat  on  the  ground  and  found  refuge  in  a 
stable,  refusing  to  go  farther.  '  At  last  I  pushed  my  head 
among  the  luggage,  and  lodged  it  on  the  damp  ground,  and 
slept'  Since  Chrysostom's  ride  in  the  same  region,  the 
Church  of  Christ  has  seen  no  torture  of  a  saint  like 
that. 

October  5. — Preserving  mercy  made  me  see  the  light  of 
another  morning.  The  sleep  had  refreshed  me,  but  I  was 
feeble  and  shaken  ;  yet  the  merciless  Hassan  hurried  me 
off.  The  munzil,  however,  not  being  distant,  I  reached  it 
without  much  difficulty.  I  expected  to  have  found  it 
another  strong  fort  at  the  end  of  the  pass,  but  it  is  a  poor 
little  village  within  the  jaws  of  the  mountain.  I  was 
pretty  well  lodged,  and  felt  tolerably  well  till  a  little  after 
sunset,  when  the  ague  came  on  with  a  violence  I  had  never 
before  experienced ;  I  felt  as  if  in  a  palsy,  my  teeth 
chattering  and  my  whole  frame  violently  shaken.  Aga 
Hosein  and  another  Persian,  on  their  way  here  from 
Constantinople,  going  to  Abbas  Mirza  whom  I  had  just 
before  been  visiting,  came  hastily  to  render  me  assistance 
if  they  could.  These  Persians  appear  quite  brotherly 
after  the  Turks.     While  they  pitied   me,   Hassan    sat  in 


IN  PERSIA   AND    TURKEY  513 

perfect  indifference,  ruminating  on  the  further  delay  this 
was  likely  to  occasion.  The  cold  fit,  after  continuing  two 
or  three  hours,  was  followed  by  a  fever,  which  lasted  the 
whole  night  and  prevented  sleep. 

October  6. — No   horses   being    to   be   had,   I   had    an 
unexpected    repose.      I    sat   in  the  orchard  and  thought  | 
with    sweet  comfort   and  peace  of   my  God,    in    solitude  | 
my  Company,  my  Friend,  and  Comforter.    Oh!  when  shall  ^ 
time  give  place  to  eternity  !     When  shall  appear  that  new  1 
heaven    and    new   earth   wherein  dwelleth  righteousness !  ; 
There,    there    shall    in    no   wise  enter   in    anything   that 
dcfileth :  none  of  that  wickedness  which  has  made  men 
worse  than  wild  beasts,  none  of  those  corruptions  which 
add  still  more  to  the  miseries  of  mortality,  shall  be  seen  or 
heard  of  any  more. 

Sitting  in  the  orchard,  thinking  with  sweet  comfort  and 
peace  of  his  God,  and  longing  for  that  new  heaven  and 
new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness— such  is  the 
last  sight  we  have  of  Henry  Martyn,  on  October  6,  1 8 1 2. 
Two  brotherly  Persians,  on  their  way  from  Constantinople, 
had  sought  to  minister  to  him  the  day  before.  The  Turkish 
Hassan,  himself  afraid  of  justice, '  sat  in  perfect  indifference, 
ruminating  on  the  further  delay '  caused  by  his  illness. 
What  happened  when  the  dying  apostle  could  write  no 
more — in  the  ten  days  till  God  took  him  on  October  16 —  "^ 
who  shall  now  tell  ?  Did  the  Turk  hurry  him,  as  he  was 
expiring,  into  Tokat,  from  'that  poor  little  village  within 
the  jaws  of  the  mountain,  in  which  he  was  '  pretty  well 
lodged,'  or  did  his  indomitable  spirit  give  the  poor  body 
strength  to  ride  into  the  town  ;  and  did  the  plague,  then 
raging,  complete  what  hereditary  disease  and  fever  had 
done  }  He  had  at  least  his  Armenian  servants,  the  '  trusty ' 
Melcom  and  Sergius,  with  him  to  minister  to  his  wants. 

L  L 


514  HENRY  MARTYN 

He  had  written  to  Lydia  of  his  journey  to  her  by 
Constantinople,  Syria,  and  Malta,  saying  :  '  Do  I  dream, 
that  I  venture  to  think  and  write  of  such  an  event  as 
that !  .  .  .  Soon  we  shall  have  occasion  for  pen  and  ink 
no  more,  but  I  trust  I  shall  shortly  see  thee  face  to  face.' 
He  dreamed  indeed  ;  for  He  who  is  the  only  Love  which 
is  no  dream,  but  the  one  transforming,  abiding,  absorbing 
reality,  called  him,  while  yet  a  youth  of  thirty-one,  home 
to  Himself. 


515 


CHAPTER    XIV 

THE   TWO   RESTING-PLACES — TOKAT   AND   BREAGE 

The  Armenians  were  a  comparatively  strong  community 
in  Tokat,  where  they  formed  a  third  of  the  population,  for 
whom  there  were  seven  churches  and  thirty  priests.  Henry 
Martyn  was  known  as  a  friend  of  this,  the  oldest  church  in 
Asia.  He  had  sought  out  their  priests  and  families  all 
over  Persia  and  the  Araxes  valley,  and  ministered  to  ■^ 
many  of  this  oppressed  people.  The  two  servants  with 
whom  he  had  journeyed  as  far  as  Tokat  were  Armenians, 
and  he  especially  trusted  Sergius,  whom  he  had  engaged 
at  Etchmiatzin,  as  one  about  to  visit  Constantinople,  and 
not  unfamiliar  with  the  route.  The  body  of  the  wearied 
traveller  to  the  city  of  the  Great  King  was  laid  to  rest  in 
the  extensive  cemetery  of  the  church  of  Karasoon  Manoog. 
Later  research  revealed  the  fact  that  the  body  was  buried 
in  simple  and  reverent  Oriental  fashion — not  in  a  coffin, 
but  in  such  a  white  winding-sheet  as  that  which  for  forty  / 
hours  enwrapped  the  Crucified.  The  story  afterwards  went 
that  the  chaplain-missionary  of  the  East  India  Company 
was  carried  to  the  tomb  with  all  the  honours  of  an 
Armenian  archbishop.  That  is  most  probable,  for  the 
Armenian  clergy  of  Calcutta,  Bushire,  and  Shiraz  always 
gave  him  priestly  honours  during  life.  The  other  tradi- 
tion—that his  burial  was  hardly  decent — has  arisen  from 

L  I.  2 


5i6  HENRY  MARTYN 

the  circumstances  that  attended  the  search  for  his  grave 
^and    the  removal  of  his  dust  to  the   American    Mission 
Cemetery  forty  years  afterwards. 

Far  away,  in  the  most  distant  corner  of  Asiatic 
Turkey,  or  Turkish  Arabia,  at  Baghdad,  there  was  one  * 
Anglo-Indian  scholar  and  Christian,  who  hastened  to 
discharge  the  pious  duty  of  carving  on  a  limestone  slab 
above  the  precious  remains  a  Latin  inscription.  That  was 
the  East  India  Company's  civil  servant,  James  Claudius 
Rich.  Born  near  Dijon  in  1787 — six  years  after  Martyn — 
and  taken  in  his  infancy  to  Bristol,  he  there  manifested 
such  extraordinary  linguistic  powers,  even  in  boyhood,  that 
Joshua  Marshman,  before  he  went  out  to  Serampore, 
helped  him  with  books  and  introduced  him  to  Dr.  Ryland. 
Robert  Hall  formed  such  an  opinion  of  his  powers,  which 
the  earliest  Orientalist,  Sir  Charles  Wilkins,  tested,  that 
he  received  an  appointment  to  the  Bombay  Civil  Service, 
and  was  introduced  to  Sir  James  Mackintosh.  He  went 
to   India  overland   through  Turkish  Asia,  disguised  as  a 

•  We  must  not  forget  the  boyish  '  Epitaph  on  Henry  Martyn,'  written  by 
Thomas  Babington  Macaiilay  in  his  thirteenth  year  {Life,  by  his  nephew, 
voh  i.  p.  38) : 

'  Here  Martyn  lies.     In  manhood's  early  bloom 
The  Christian  hero  finds  a  Pagan  tomb. 
Religion  sorrowing  o'er  her  favourite  son 
Points  to  the  glorious  trophies  that  he  won, 
Eternal  trophies  !  not  with  carnage  red  ; 
Not  stained  with  tears  by  hapless  captives  shed. 
But  trophies  of  the  Cross.     For  that  dear  Name, 
Through  every  form  of  danger,  death,  and  shame. 
Onward  he  journeyed  to  a  happier  shore, 
Where  danger,  death,  and  shame  assault  no  more.' 

These  lines  reflect  the  impression  made  on  Charles  Grant  and  the  other 
Clapham  friends  by  Henry  Martyn's  death  at  a  time  when  they  used  his  career 
as  an  argument  for  Great  Britain  doing  its  duty  to  India  during  the  discussioas 
in  Parliament  on  the  past  India  Com|)any's  Charter  of  1813. 


THE   TWO  RESTING-PLACES  519 

Georgian  Turk,  so  that  the  Mecca  pilgrims  at  Damascus 
did  not   discover   him.     He    married    Sir   James's   eldest 
daughter,'  and  had  set  out  as  the  Company's  Resident  at 
Baghdad  and  Busrah,  not  long  before  Martyn  arrived  at 
Bombay.     The  two  men  never  met,  for  Martyn's  attempt 
to  enter  Arabia  from  Persia  through  Baghdad  was  stopped. 
But  the  young  Orientalist  watched  Martyn's  career  with 
admiration,  and  seems  to  have  followed  his  footsteps.      In 
1 82 1  he  himself  was  cut  off  by  cholera,  while  ministering 
to   the    plague-stricken    in    Shiraz,    leaving   a   name   im- 
perishably  associated  with  that  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh, 
and  dear  to  all  Oriental  scholars  and  travellers,  but  hence- 
forth to  be  remembered  above  all  as  that  of  the  man  who 
was  the  first  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Henry  Martyn.^ 
The  sacred  spot  was  immediately  at  the  foot  of  slaty 
rocks  down  which  the   winter  snows  and   summer    rains 
washed  enough  of  stony  soil  every  year  to  cover  up  the 
horizontal  slab.     The  first  to  visit  it  with  reverent  steps 
after  the  pious  commission  of  Claudius  James  Rich  had 
been    executed,   was  Sir    Robert   Ker  Porter.      Although 
only  a  few  years  had  elapsed,  he  seems  to  have  failed  to 
see  the  inscription  which  fitly  commemorated  the  'Sacerdos 
ac  Missionarius  Anglorum,'    so  that    he  thus   beautifully 
wrote  :  '  His  remains  sleep  in  a  grave  as  humble  as  his  own 
meekness ;    but  while    that  hig.i   pyramidal    hill,  marked 
with  its  mouldering  ruins  of  heathen  ages,  points  to  the 
sky,  every  European  traveller  must  see  in  it  their  honoured 
countryman's  monument' 

In   1830,  when  the  American  Board's  missionaries,  Eli 

'  Narrative  of  a  Residence  in  Kooniistan,  and  an  Account  of  a  Visit  to 
Sherauz  and  Persepolis,  by  the  late  Claudius  James  Rich,  Esq.,  edited  (with 
memoir)  by  his  widow,  two  vols.,  London,  1836. 

*  See  p.  528  for  the  earlier,  and  p.  530  for  the  later  inscription. 


520  HENRY  MARTYN 

Smith  and  H.  G.  O.  Dwight,  visited  Tokat,  they  had  little 
difficulty  in  finding  the  spot,  from  which  they  wrote :  '  An 
appropriate  Latin  inscription  is  all  that  distinguishes  his 
tomb  from  the  tombs  of  the  Armenians  who  sleep  by  his 
side.' '  They  urged  their  Board  to  make  Tokat  its  centre  of 
operations  for  the  people  of  Second  Armenia,  as  Caesarea 
for  those  of  the  First  and  Third  Armenia,  and  Tarsus  for 
those  of  Cilicia.  As  they,  reversing  his  northward 
journey,  reached  Tabreez  sick,  they  were  cared  for,  first  by 
Dr.,  afterwards  Sir  John  McNeill,  and  then  by  Dr.  Cormick, 
the  same  physician  who  healed  Martyn  of  a  similar  disease 
when  he  was  at  this  city.  '  He  seemed  to  have  retained  the 
highest  opinion  of  him  as  a  Christian,  a  companion,  and  a 
scholar.' 

In  1 841  Mr.  George  Fowler  published  his  Three  Years 
in  Persia,  in  which  a  chapter  is  filled  with  reminiscences  of 
Henry  Martyn. 

Of  this  distinguished  missionary  and  champion  of  the 
Cross,  who  fearlessly  unfolded  his  banner  and  proclaimed 
Christ  amongst  the  bigoted  Mahometans,  I  have  heard 
much  in  these  countries,  having  made  acquaintance  with 
some  persons  who  knew  him,  and  saw  (if  I  may  so  say) 
the  last  of  him.  At  the  General's  table  at  Erzroom 
(Paskevitch),  I  had  the  honour  to  meet  grafts  and  princes, 
consisting  of  Russians,  Georgians,  Circassians,  Germans, 
Spaniards,  and  Persians,  all  glittering  in  their  stars  and 
orders,  such  a  melange  as  is  scarcely  to  be  found  again  under 
one  banner  ;  looking  more  like  a  monarch's  levy  than  any- 
thing else.  My  neighbour  was  an  Armenian  bishop,  who, 
with  his  long  flowing  hair  and  beard,  and  austere  habits, 
the  cross  being  suspended  to  his  girdle,  presented  a  great 

'  Missionary  Researches  in  Armenia,  London,  1834. 


THE   TWO   RESTING-PLACES  521 

contrast  to  the  military  chiefs.  There  were  many  other 
priests  at  the  table,  of  whom  he  was  the  principal.  He 
addressed  me  in  my  native  tongue  very  tolerably,  asking 
if  I  had  known  anything  of  the  missionary,  Martyn.  The 
name  was  magic  to  my  ear,  and  immediately  our  colloquy 
became  to  me  of  great  interest. 

The  bishop  was  the  Serrafino  of  whom  Martyn  speaks 
in  his  Journal,  I  happening  at  the  time  to  have  it  with 
me.  He  was  very  superior  to  the  general  caste  of  the 
Armenian  clergy,  having  been  educated  at  Rome,  and  had 
attained  many  European  languages.  He  made  Martyn's 
acquaintance  at  Etchmiatzin,  the  Armenian  monastery  at 
Erivan,  where  he  had  gone  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Patriarch 
or  chief  of  that  people,  and  remained  three  days  to  recruit 
his  exhausted  strength.  He  described  him  to  me  as  being 
of  a  very  delicate  frame,  thin,  and  not  quite  of  the  middle 
stature,  a  beardless  youth,  with  a  countenance  beaming 
with  so  much  benignity  as  to  bespeak  an  errand  of  Divine 
love.  Of  the  affairs  of  the  world  he  seemed  to  be  so 
ignorant,  that  Serrafino  was  obliged  to  manage  for  him 
respecting  his  travelling  arrangements,  money  matters,  etc. 
Of  the  latter  he  had  a  good  deal  with  him  when  he  left  the 
monastery,  and  seemed  to  be  careless,  and  even  profuse,  in 
his  expenditure.  He  was  strongly  recommended  to  post- 
pone his  journey,  but  from  his  extreme  impatience  to 
return  to  England  these  remonstrances  were  unavailing. 
A  Tartar  was  employed  to  conduct  him  to  Tokat.  Serra- 
fino accompanied  him  for  an  hour  or  two  on  the  way — 
with  considerable  apprehensions,  as  he  told  me,  of  his  ever 
arriving  in  his  native  country.'  He  was  greatly  surprised, 
he  said,  not  only  to  find  in  him  all  the  ornaments  of  a 
refined  education,  but  that  he  was  so  eminent  a  Christian  ; 

'  It  is  a  custom  in  the  East  to  accompany  travellers  out  of  the  city  to  bid 
them  God  speed,  with  the  '  khoda  hafiz  shuma,'  '  may  God  take  you  into  His 
holy  keeping.'  If  an  Armenian,  he  is  accompanied  by  the  priest,  who  prays 
over  him  and  for  him  with  much  fervour. 


522  HENRY  MARTYN 

'  since  (said  he)  all  the  English  I-  have  hitherto  met  with, 
not  only  make  no  profession  of  religion,  but  live  seemingly 
in  contempt  of  it.' 

I  endeavoured  to  convince  him  that  his  impression  of 
the  English  character  was  in  this  respect  erroneous  ;  that 
although  a  Martyn  on  the  Asiatic  soil  might  be  deemed  a 
phoenix,  yet  many  such  existed  in  that  country  which  gave 
him  birth  ;  and  I  instanced  to  him  the  Christian  philan- 
thropy of  my  countrymen,  which  induced  them  to  search 
the  earth's  boundaries  to  extend  their  faith.  I  told  him  of 
our  immense  voluntary  taxation  to  aid  the  missionaries  in 
that  object,  and  of  the  numerous  Christian  associations, — 
for  which  the  world  was  scarcely  large  enough  to  expend 
themselves  upon. 

He  listened  with  great  attention,  and  then  threw  in  the 
compliment,  '  You  English  are  very  difficult  to  become 
acquainted  with,  but  when  once  we  know  you  we  can 
depend  on  you.'  He  complained  of  some  part  of  Martyn's 
Journal  referring  to  himself,  respecting  his  then  idea  of 
retiring  to  India,  to  write  and  print  some  works  in  the 
Armenian  language,  tending  to  enlighten  that  people  with 
regard  to  religion.  He  said  that  what  followed  of  the 
errors  and  superstitions  of  the  Armenian  Church  should 
not  have  been  inserted  in  the  book,  nor  did  he  think  it 
would  be  found  in  M.diX{.yr\s  Journal.  His  complaint  rested 
much  on  the  compilers  of  the  work  in  this  respect ;  he  said, 
'  these  opinions  were  not  exactly  so  expressed,  and  certainly 
they  were  not  intended  to  come  before  the  public,  whereby 
they  might  ultimately  be  turned  against  me.' 

At  Erzroom,  on  my  way  to  Persia,  I  had  met  with  an 
Italian  doctor,  then  in  the  Pasha's  employ,  from  whom  I 
heard  many  interesting  particulars  respecting  Martyn.  He 
was  at  Tokat  at  the  time  of  our  countryman's  arrival  and 
death,  which  occurred  on  October  i6,  1812  ;  but  whether 
occasioned  by  the  plague,  or  from  excessive  fatigue  by 
the  brutal  treatment  of  the  Tartar,  he  could  not  determine. 
His    remains    were    decently    interred    in    the    Armenian 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  523 

burying-ground,  and  for  a  time  the  circumstance  was 
forgotten.  Some  years  afterwards,  a  gentleman,  at  the 
request  of  the  British  ambassador  in  Constantinople,  had  a 
commemorative  stone  erected  to  his  memory,  and  applica- 
tion was  made  to  the  Armenian  bishop  to  seek  the  grave 
for  that  purpose.  He  seemed  to  have  forgotten  altogether 
such  an  occurrence,  but  referring  to  some  memoranda  which 
he  had  made  of  so  remarkable- a  case  as  that  of  interring  a 
Feringhi  stranger,  he  was  enabled  to  trace  the  humble 
tablet  with  which  he  had  distinguished  it.  It  is  now 
ornamented  with  a  white  slab,  stating  merely  the  name, 
age,  and  time  of  death  of  the  deceased. 

I  had  many  reminiscences  of  Martyn,  at  Marand  par- 
ticularly. I  quitted  this  place  at  midnight,  just  at  the  time 
and  under  the  circumstances  which  he  describes.  '  It  was 
a  most  mild  and  delightful  night,  and  the  pure  air,  after 
the  smell  of  the  stable,  was  reviving.'  I  was  equally  soli- 
tary with  himself.  I  had  attached  great  interest  to  my 
resting-place,  believing  it  to  have  been  the  same  on  which 
Martyn  had  reposed,  from  his  own  description,  as  it  was 
the  usual  reception  for  travellers,  the  inunzil,  or  post-house. 
Here  I  found  myself  almost  alone,  as  with  Aliverdy,  my 
guide,  not  three  words  of  understanding  existed  between 
us.  Martyn  says,  '  They  stared  at  my  European  dress, 
but  no  disrespect  was  shown.'  Exactly  so  with  me  :  the 
villagers  stood  around  questioning  my  attendant,  who  was 
showing  me  off,  I  know  not  why. 

Martyn's  description  of  the  stable  was  precisely  what  I 
found  it  ;  thus — *  I  was  shown  into  the  stable,  where  there 
was  a  little  place  partitioned  off,  but  so  as  to  admit  a  view 
of  the  horses.'  He  was  '  dispirited  and  melancholy.'  I 
was  not  a  little  touched  with  this  in  my  solitariness,  and 
sensibly  felt  with  the  poet ; 

Thou  dost  not  ki)ow  how  sad  it  is  to  stray  L     \y 
Amid  a  foreign  land,  thyself  unknown,  ) 

And,  when  o'erweai'ed  with  the  toilsome  day,  I 

To  rest  at  eve  and  feel  thyself  alone.  t 


524  HENRY  MARTYN 

At  Khoi,  on  my  return,  I  witnessed  the  Persian 
ceremony  related  by  Martyn  in  his  Journal  of  the  death 
of  Imam  Hussein — the  anniversary  of  which  is  so  religiously 
observed  in  that  country.  At  Tabreez  I  heard  much  of 
him  who  was 

Faithful  found 
Among  the  faithless — faithful  only  he, 
Unshaken,  unseduced,  unterrified, 
His  loyalty  he  kept — his  zeal — his  love. 

I  scarcely  remember  so  bright  an  ornament  to  the 
Christian  profession,  on  heathen  land,  as  this  hero  of  the 
Cross,  who  was  '  patient  in  tribulation,  rejoicing  in  hope  ; ' 
and  I  heard  him  thus  spoken  of  by  those  who  could 
estimate  the  man,  and  perhaps  not  appreciate  the  missionary 
— '  If  ever  there  was  a  saint  on  earth,  it  was  Martyn  ;  and 
if  there  be  now  an  angel  in  heaven,  it  is  Martyn.'  Amidst 
the  contumely  of  the  bigoted  Mussulmans,  he  had  much 
to  bear,  as  to  the  natural  man,  amongst  whom  he  was 
called  an  '  Isauvi '  (the  term  given  to  Christians). 

I  know  of  no  people  where,  to  all  human  calculation, 
so  little  prospect  opens  of  planting  the  Cross.  The  moollas 
are  by  no  means  averse  to  religious  discussion,  and  still 
remember  the  '  enlightened  infidel,'  as  Martyn  was  called  ; 
but  so  bigoted  are  these  benighted  Moslems,  and  show  so 
much  zeal,  as  I  noticed  at  their  Ramazan,  that  they  scorn 
us,  and,  I  may  say,  they  shame  us.  It  is  interesting,  when 
looking  at  those  dark  regions,  to  inquire  — when  shall  the 
Cross  triumph  over  the  Crescent  ?  when  shall  the  riches 
and  power  of  the  Gospel  spread  over  their  soil,  root  up 
the  weeds  of  error,  and  produce  the  fruits  of  righteousness  ? 

Since  the  days  of  Martyn  but  little  effort  has  been 
made  by  the  Missionary  Society  to  turn  the  tide  of 
Christian  philanthropy  towards  this  country  ;  but  I  would 
say,  spite  of  the  discouragements,  Send  your  missionaries 
to  this  stronghold  of  Mahomet ,  here  plant  your  standard 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  525 

of  redeeming  love  to  the  wretched  devotee  of  the  impostor  ; 
to  the  sometime  worshipper  of  the  sun  hang  out  the  banner 
of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  ;  kindle  in  his  bosom  the  flame 
of  Divine  truth,  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  which  his  former 
god  was  the  emblem,  may  enlighten  and  guide  him  into 
the  fold  of  Christ. 

It  is  gratifying  to  find  from  a  paper  in  the  Asiatic 
Register,  the  writer  of  which  spent  a  few  weeks  at  Shiraz, 
that  the  love  and  work  of  this  distinguished  missionary, 
although  he  saw  no  fruits  from  them,  have  in  one  instance 
proved  that  his  labour  has  not  been  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 
He  relates  that  in  that  city  he  met  with  an  interesting 
character,  Mahomed  Rahim,  who  had  been  educated  for  a 
moolla  ;  a  man  of  considerable  learning,  and  much  attached 
to  the  English.  He  found  him  reading  a  volume  of 
Cowpers  Poems,  and  was  astonished  at  the  precision  with 
which  he  expressed  himself  in  English  ;  this  led  to  the 
subject  of  religion,  when  he  acknowledged  himself  to  be  a 
Christian,  and  related  the  following  circumstance. 

In  the  year  of  the  Hegira  1223  there  came  to  this  city 
an  Englishman,  who  taught  the  religion  of  Christ  with  a 
boldness  hitherto  unparalleled  in  Persia,  in  the  midst  of  much 
scorn  and  ill-treatment  from  the  moollas  as  well  as  the 
rabble.  He  was  a  beardless  youth,  and  evidently  enfeebled 
by  disease  ;  he  dwelt  among  us  for  more  than  a  year.  I 
was  then  a  decided  enemy  to  infidels,  as  the  Christians 
are  termed  by  the  followers  of  Mahomet,  and  I  visited  this 
teacher  of  the  despised  sect,  for  the  purpose  of  treating 
him  with  scorn,  and  exposing  his  doctrines  to  contempt. 
Although  1  persevered  in  this  conduct  for  some  time,  I 
found  that  every  interview  not  only  increased  my  respect 
for  the  individual,  but  diminished  my  confidence  in  the 
faith  in  which  I  was  educated.  His  extreme  forbearance 
towards  the  violence  of  his  opponents,  the  calm  and  yet 
convincing  manner  in  which  he  exposed  the  fallacies  and 
sophistries  by  which  he  was  assailed  (for  he  spoke  Persian 


526  HENRY  MARTYN 

excellently),  gradually  inclined  me  to  listen  to  his  argu- 
ments, to  inquire  dispassionately  into  the  subject  of  them, 
and  finally  to  read  a  tract  which  he  had  written  in  reply 
to  A  Deforce  of  Islam,  by  our  chief  moollas.  The  result  of 
my  examination  was  a  conviction  that  the  young  disputant 
was  right.  Shame,  or  rather  fear,  withheld  me  from  this 
opinion  ;  I  even  avoided  the  society  of  the  Christian 
teacher,  though  he  remained  in  the  city  so  long.  Just 
before  he  quitted  Shiraz  I  could  not  refrain  from  paying 
him  a  farewell  visit.  Our  conversation,  the  memory  of 
which  will  never  fade  from  the  tablet  of  my  mind,  sealed 
my  conversion.  He  gave  me  a  book  ;  it  has  been  my 
constant  companion  ;  the  study  of  it  has  formed  my  most 
delightful  occupation  ;  its  contents  have  often  consoled 
me.  Upon  this  he  put  into  my  hand  a  copy  of  the  New 
Testament  in  Persian  ;  on  one  of  the  blank  leaves  was 
written,  'There  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that 
repenteth.     Henry  Martyn.' 

The  memory  of  Henry  Martyn  was  borne  by  Mussul- 
mans to  Northern  Africa,  and  south  to  India  again.  The 
late  Rev.  Mr.  Oakley,  of  St.  Paul's,  Onslow  Square,  London, 
when  travelling  south  of  Algiers,  met  Mohammedans  who 
-^  asked  him  if  he  were  of  the  same  tribe  as  Henry  Martyn, 
the  man  of  God  whose  controversy  at  Shiraz  and  books 
they  knew.  A  Persian  of  gentle  manners,  who  had  a  surpris- 
ing knowledge  of  the  Mesnevi,  that  inexhaustible  fountain 
of  Soofi  philosophy,  received  a  copy  of  Martyn's  Persian 
New  Testament.  After  fourteen  years'  study  of  it,  in 
silence,  he  applied  to  the  nearest  Christian,  an  Armenian 
bishop,  for  baptism  unto  Christ.  Fearing  the  consequences, 
the  bishop  sent  on  the  catechumen  to  the  Armenian  priests 
at  Calcutta,  who,  equally  afraid  that  the  news  would  reach 
the  Persian  authorities,  handed  him  over  to  the  Rev.  E.  C. 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  527 

Stuart,  then  the  Church  Missionary  Society's  secretary 
there,  and  a  Persian  scholar,  now  Bishop  of  Waiapu.  Mr. 
Stuart  took  him  as  his  guest,  found  that  he  deHghted  in 
instruction  in  the  New  Testament,  and  baptized  him.  Ulti- 
mately the  convert  went  back  to  Persia  as  one  who  '  had 
gained  a  sincere  faith  in  Christ  from  the  simple  reading 
of  H.  Martyn's  Persian  Testament' 

In  1842  the  learned  Bombay  chaplain,  George  Percy 
Badger,  visited  Tokat  on  a  mission  from  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  and  the  Bishop  of  London  to  the  Nestorian 
tribes  of  Koordistan.  He  was  guided  to  Henry  Martyn's 
first  tomb  by  the  Armenian  priest  who  had  performed  the 
rites  of  Christian  burial.  While  Mrs.  Badger  sought  out 
and  planted  wild  flowers  around  the  stone,  her  husband, 
recalling  the  fervent  zeal  and  ardent  piety  of  the  departed, 
'  lifted  up  a  secret  prayer  that  God  in  His  mercy  would 
raise  up  many  of  a  like  spirit  to  labour  among  the  be- 
nighted Mohammedans  of  the  East'  • 

Adopting  the  report  of  their  missionaries  in  1830,  the 
American  Board  at  Boston  sent  out  Dr.  Henry  J.  van 
Lennep,  who  first  visited  Tokat  fourteen  years  after  them, 
and  thirty-two  years  after  Henry  Martyn's  death.  The  first 
object  of  his  attention  was  the  grave,  which  then  he  had 
great  difficulty  in  discovering  and  identifying.  It  was  this 
experience,  and  not  any  earlier  facts,  that  must  have  led  to 
the  publication  of  these  lines  : 

No  stone  marks  the  spot  where  these  ashes  are  resting, 
No  tear  has  e'er  hallowed  thy  cold,  lonely  grave. 

But  the  wild  warring  winds  whistle  round  thy  bleak  dwelling, 
And  the  fierce  wintry  torrent  sweeps  o'er  it  with  its  wave. 

•   The   Nestorians  and  their  Rituals  in   1842-1844,   2   vols.     London : 
Joseph  Masters,  1852. 


528  HENRY  MARTYN 

In  his  Travels  in  Little  Known  Parts  of  Asia  Minor ^ 
Dr.  van  Lennep  writes  : 

The  Armenian  burying-ground,  where  he  was  laid,  is 
situated  just  outside  of  the  town,  and  hard  by  the  wretched 
gipsy  quarter  which  forms  its  eastern  extremity.  It  is  a 
most  barren  and  desolate  spot,  overhung  by  lofty  cliffs  of 
clay  slate.  Its  only  verdure,  besides  the  rank  weeds  that 
spring  up  between  the  thickly  set  graves,  consists  of  two 
scraggy  wild  pear-trees  nearly  dead  for  lack  of  moisture. 
The  sexton  of  the  church  near  by  could  give  no  informa- 
tion, and  I  was  left  to  search  for  it  alone.  Beginning  at 
the  graves  lying  at  the  outer  edge  of  the  ground  nearest 
the  road,  I  advanced  towards  the  hill,  examining  each  in 
its  turn,  until  just  at  the  foot  of  the  overhanging  cliffs  I 
came  upon  a  slab  of  coarse  limestone,  some  forty  inches  by 
twenty,  bearing  the  following  inscription  : 

Rev  .  ViR . 

GuG^ .  Martino  . 

Sacer  .  Ac  .  Miss  .  Anglo  . 

QuEM  .  In .  Patr  .  Redi . 

DOMINUS 

Hic  .  Berisae  .  Ad  .  Sb  .  Voc  . 

PiUM  .  D  .  Fidel  .  Q  .  Ser  . 

A.D.  MDCCCXIL 

Hung  .  Lap  .  Consac  . 

C.  I.  R. 

A.D.  MDCCCXIII. 

It  was  just  ten  years  after  this  first  visit  that  I  was 
again  in  Tokat,  not  on  a  transient  visit,  but  with  the 
purpose  of  making  that  city  my  permanent  abode.  A 
little  party  of  us  soon  repaired  to  the  hallowed  spot. 
Guided  by  my  recollections  and  a  drawing  made  at  my 
previous  visit,  we  were  soon  at  the  place ;  but  in  the  last 

'  New  York,  1870,  2  vols.  i2mo.  Also  published  by  John  Murray, 
London,  1870. 

^  Mr.  Rich,  British  Resident  at  Baghdad,  who  had  laid  this  monumental 
slab,  was  evidently  ignorant  of  Martyn's  christian  name. 


THE   TWO  RESTING-PLACES  529 

few  years  it  had  undergone  a  remarkable  change.  Instead 
of  the  slab  of  stone  with  its  inscription,  which  we  expected 
to  see,  we  only  found  a  smooth  surface  of  pebbly  and  sandy 
soil  overgrown  with  weeds,  without  vestige  of  stone  or 
mound  to  indicate  the  presence  of  a  grave  ;  but  the  iden- 
tical surroundings  were  there,  too  well  remembered  to  be 
mistaken.  Could  it  be  that,  as  happens  in  these  lawless 
regions,  the  stone  had  been  removed  by  some  ruthless 
hand  and  incorporated  in  the  wall  of  a  neighbouring 
building  .■•  We  could  not  accept  that  unpleasant  conclusion, 
and,  calling  the  sexton,  we  directed  him  to  dig  where  we 
pointed.  It  was  at  a  depth  of  two  feet  from  the  surface 
that  the  stone  came  into  view  :  the  soil  and  rubbish  accu- 
mulated upon  the  grave  were  then  removed,  and  we  hoped 
the  place  would  hereafter  need  little  attention.  But,  to  our 
surprise,  we  found  it  again,  the  ensuing  spring,  covered  to 
the  same  depth  as  before.  The  soil  was  washed  upon  it  by 
the  rains  from  the  whole  mountain  side,  and  we  found  that 
were  a  wall  built  for  its  protection,  the  gipsy  boys,  who 
made  this  their  playground,  would  soon  have  it  down. 

Some  time  after  this,  a  correspondence  took  place  with 
friends  in  London,  which  resulted  in  a  grant  being  made  by 
the  late  Hon.  East  India  Company's  Board  of  Directors, 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  more  suitable  monument  to 
the  memory  of  Henry  Martyn,  to  be  placed  with  his  re- 
mains in  the  Mission  Burying-ground.  The  monument 
was  cut  out  of  native  marble,  and  made  by  native  workmen 
at  Tokat.  The  remains  were  removed  under  the  inspection 
of  the  missionary  physician,  and  though  it  was  difficult 
positively  to  identify  them,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  what 
was  found  once  formed  a  portion  of  the  earthly  tenement 
of  the  devoted  and  lamented  missionary.  There  were  no 
remains  of  a  coffin  ;  Orientals  never  use  them,  and  he  was 
doubtless  laid  in  immediate  contact  with  the  soil,  literally 
'  dust  to  dust.'  The  monument  under  which  we  laid  these 
remains  was  the  first  grave  in  our  little  cemetery,  and  well 

M  M 


S30  HENRY  MARTYN   ' 

might  it  be  said  that  it  became  sacred  ground.  The 
obelisk  has  four  faces,  on  each  of  which  the  name,  encircled 
with  a  wreath,  is  cut,  severally  in  English,  Armenian, 
Persian,  and  Turkish.  The  four  sides  of  the  base  contain 
the  following  inscription  in  the  same  languages  : 

REV.    HENRY   MARTYN,    M.A. 

Chaplain  of  the  Hon.  East  India  Company, 

Born  at  Truro,  England,  February  i8,  1781, 

Died  at  Tokat,  October  16,  1812. 

He  laboured  for  many  years  in  the  East,  striving  to 

Benefit  mankind  both  in  this  world  and  that  to  come. 

He  translated  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  Hindostanee 

and  Persian, 

And  preached  the  God  and  Saviour  of  whom  they  testify. 

He  will  long  be  remembered  in  the  East,  where  he  was 

known  as  a  Man  of  God. 

The  grave  now  lies  in  a  spot  every  way  adapted  to 
foster  the  holy  memories  which  it  recalls.  It  stands  upon 
a  broad  and  high  terrace,  overlooking  the  whole  city  for 
whose  salvation  we  cannot  doubt  that  he  offered  some  of 
the  last  petitions  '  of  the  righteous  man,  which  avail  much.' 
It  is  a  solitude,  immediately  surrounded  by  the  thick 
foliage  of  fruit  trees,  among  which  tall  walnuts  are  con- 
spicuous. We  ourselves  planted  by  its  side  the  only  weep- 
ing willows  which  exist  in  the  whole  region.  The  place  is 
visited  by  many,  who  read  the  concise  inscription  and 
further  inquire  into  the  good  man's  history.  It  has  always 
been  a  favourite  place  of  resort  of  our  students  and  native 
Christians,  and  they  have  many  a  time  sat  under  its  shade 
and  expounded  to  wondering  strangers  the  very  doctrines 
to  propagate  which  that  model  of  a  missionary  had  sacri- 
ficed his  life. 

Tokat  is  now  for  ever  memorable  as  the  centre  which 

links  the  names  of  Basiliscus,  the  martyr,  Basil  the  Great, 

John  Chrysostom,  and  Henry  Martyn.     The  cloud-crested 

fortress  points  almost  straight  up  from  the  Jeshil-Irmak 


TOMB   OK   HENRY   MARTYN 


M  M  2 


THE    TWO  RESTING  PLACES  533 

river,  the  ancient  Iris,  which,  rising  in  the  Anti-Taurus 
range  of  Pontus,  finds  its  way  to  the  Black  Sea  with  a 
breadth  and  volume  of  water  second  only  to  the  Halys. 
Still,  as  of  old,  the  town  crowds  about  the  foot  of  the  two 
spiral  crags  and  straggles  out  with  towered  church,  mosque 
and  minaret,  into  the  valley.  The  ruins  of  the  embattled 
walls  crowning  every  pinnacle  of  the  insulated  rocks  of 
which  they  seem  to  form  a  part,  tell  of  the  days  when 
Greek  and  Roman  passed  along  the  '  royal  road '  from 
Amisos  or  Samsoon  on  the  Euxine  to  Sebaste,  Caesareia, 
and  Central  Asia  ;  and  when  the  Saracens  beat  off  the 
Emperor  Michael  (860)  from  what  was  then  called 
Daximon.^  The  time  is  coming  when  there  shall  once 
more  be  here  a  highway  of  civilisation  after  the  barren 
centuries  of  the  Moslem. 

Tokat  represents  Komana  Pontica,  six  miles  off,  the 
oracle  and  emporium  of  the  royal  road,  described  by  Strabo 
as  a  little  Corinth  for  vice  and  traffic.  Another  step, 
and  the  Apostle  Paul  himself  might  have  visited  it  from 
Galatia.  In  312,  in  the  persecution  under  Maximin,  Basi- 
liscus,  the  bishop  of  Komana,  was  martyred,  being  shod 
with  red-hot  iron  shoes,  beheaded,  and  thrown  into  the 
Iris.  The  Acta  picture  the  saint  as  led  on  foot  by  soldiers 
along  the  road  without  food  for  four  days,  till  he  reached 
Komana ;  *  and  the  road  was  much  the  same  as  the 
modern  way,  Tokat  to  Amaseia,'  along  which  Henry 
Martyn  was  violently  hurried  by  his  Tartar.  In  the 
martyrium,  built  a  few  miles  out  of  Komana,  in  memory 
of  Basiliscus,  Chrysostom  found  rest  in  death,  and  a 
grave. 

Basilius,  the  bishop  of  Caesareia,  belonged  to  the 
•  Professor  W.  M.  ^&3xa%7iif%  Historical  Geography  of  Asia  Miiwr,  iSoo. 


534  HENRY  MARTYN 

neighbouring  province  of  Cappadocia,  but  his  missionary 
influence,  and  that  of  his  bishop  brother,  Gregory  Nyssen, 
and  his  sister,  Macrina,  spread  all  over  Pontus,  while 
Gregory  Nazianzen  was  his  fellow-student  at  Athens,  and  his 
admiring  friend,  as  Julian  also,  the  future  Emperor,  was  for 
a  time.  Like  Martyn,  Basil  owed  to  his  sister  his  conversion, 
his  call  to  the  ministry,  and  his  self-sacrifice  all  through 
life.  It  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Iris  above  Tokat  that, 
secluded  for  five  years,  the  great  Father  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  monastic  communities  of  the  Greek  Church, 
and  learned  to  be  the  future  defender  of  orthodoxy  against 
the  Arians,  and  of  the  unity  of  the  Oriental  Church. 
\  But  it  is  the  exile  and  death  of  John  Chrysostom,  just 
fourteen  centuries  before,  that  form  the  most  touching 
parallel  to  the  sufferings  of  Henry  Martyn.  Never  has 
there  been  a  greater  missionary  bishop  than  the  'golden- 
mouthed  '  preacher  of  Antioch  and  Constantinople.  The 
victim  first  of  a  cabal  of  bishops,  and  then  of  the  Empress 
Eudoxia,  whose  vices  and  sacrilege  he  rebuked,  he  was 
driven  from  Constantinople  to  the  scorching  plains  of 
Cappadocia  in  the  midsummer  heat.  His  guard  drove  on 
the  venerable  man  day  and  night,  giving  him  no  rest. 
When  a  halt  was  made,  it  was  always  in  some  filthy  village 
where  good  water  was  not.  Fever  and  ague  were  pro- 
voked, but  still  he  was  forced  on  to  Basil's  city  of  Caesareia, 
to  find  Basil's  successor  his  bitter  enemy.  Taking  a 
physician  with  him  he  reached  his  destination  at  Kokussos, 
where  the  Empress  had  hoped  that  the  barbarians  would 
make  an  end  of  him.  As  it  seemed  likely  to  prove  his 
Tabreez,  he  was  once  more  driven  forth  on  foot,  under  two 
guards  selected  for  their  brutality.  It  took  him  three 
,        months  to  reach  Komana — one  long,  slow  martyrdom  to 


THE   TWO  RESTING-PLACES  535 

the  fever-stricken  old  man.  '  It  was  evident  that  Chryso- 
stom's  strength  was  entirely  worn  out,'  writes  Canon 
Venables,  in  words  which  exactly  describe  the  experience 
of  the  young  Henry  Martyn.  *  But  his  pitiless  guard 
hurried  him  through  the  town  "  as  if  its  streets  were  no 
more  than  a  bridge,"  without  a  moment's  halt'  Five  miles 
farther  on  they  halted  at  the  chapel  of  the  martyr 
Basiliscus,  of  whom  Chrysostom  dreamed  that  he  saw  him 
and  heard  him  say  :  'Be  of  good  cheer  ;  on  the  morrow 
we  shall  be  together.'  Canon  Venables  continues,  uncon- 
sciously, the  parallel  with  the  experience  of  the  nineteenth- 
century  saint  of  the  Evangel  : 

In  the  morning  Chrysostom  earnestly  begged  for  a 
brief  respite,  but  in  vain.  He  was  hurried  off,  but  scarcely 
had  he  gone  three  or  four  miles  when  a  violent  attack  of 
fever  compelled  them  to  retrace  their  steps. 

On  reaching  the  martyrium,  Chrysostom,  led  within, 
stripped  off  his  soiled  garments,  clothed  himself  in  white 
baptismal  vestments,  joined  in  the  communion  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  offered  his  last 
prayer  '  for  present  needs,'  uttered  his  accustomed  doxology  : 
'  Glory  be  to  God  for  all  things,'  and,  having  said  '  Amen,' 
breathed  his  last  on  September  14,  407,  in  his  sixtieth 
year.  His  body  was  laid  beside  that  of  Basiliscus.  A 
generation  after,  the  children  of  the  Empress  and  Emperor 
who  had  thus  slaughtered  the  saint  brought  back  his  body 
and  gave  it  imperial  sepulture  in  Constantinople,  while 
they  publicly  asked  Heaven  to  forgive  the  wrong  of  the 
past. 

From  Basiliscus,  Basil,  and  Chrysostom  to  Henry 
Martyn,  the  fourteen  centuries  tell  of  the  corruption  of  the 


536  HENRY  MARTYN 

Church  of  Christ  in  the  East,  and  the  rise  upon  its  ruins 
of  Mohammedanism,  which  covered  the  northern  half  of 
Africa,  and  Spain,  and  reached  as  far  as  Tours  and  Vienna 
in  Europe.  It  is  to  the  glory  of  Henry  Martyn  that  he 
was  the  first  missionary  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  the 
West  to  the  Mohammedans,  giving  those  of  India  and 
Central  Asia  the  Gospel  and  the  Psalms  in  two  of  their 
own  vernaculars,  and  dying  for  them  before  he  could  com- 
plete his  work  at  the  Arabic  Bible. 

We  shall  see  whom  his  example  inspired  to  follow  him. 
His  death  became  a  summons,  first  to  his  own  evangelical 
circle  in  England  and  India,  and  then  to  the  whole  Church 
of  Christ,  to  follow  in  the  path  that  he  marked  out  alike 
by  his  toiling  and  his  writing. 

Sergius,  the  Armenian,  must  at  once  have  pursued  the 
journey  from  Tokat  to  Constantinople,  which  is  distant 
from  Tabreez  1,542  miles,  and  not  1,300  as  roundly  esti- 
mated by  Henry  Martyn.  He  presented  the  letters  of  his 
master  to  Mr.  Isaac  Morier,  in  the  Sultan's  capital,  father 
of  Sir  Gore  Ouseley's  secretary  and  successor.  On 
February  12,  18 13,  Charles  Simeon  wrote  thus  to  Mr. 
Thomason  in  Calcutta  ; 

The  day  before  yesterday  a  letter  arrived  from 
Mr.  Isaac  Morier,  of  Constantinople,  announcing  that  on 
October  16  (or  thereabouts)  our  beloved  brother  entered 
into  the  realms  of  glory,  and  rested  for  ever  in  the  bosom 
of  his  God.  .  .  But  what  an  event  it  is !  How  calamitous 
to  his  friends,  to  India,  and  to  the  world !  Methinks  I 
hear  God  say  :  '  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God.'  .  .  . 
I  had  been  forming  plans  in  my  mind  with  a  view  to  the 
restoration  of  his  health  in  England,  and  should  now  have 
been  able  to  carry  into  execution  whatever  might  have 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  537 

been   judged    expedient ;    but    I    am    denied    the   joy    of 
ministering  to  him  ! 

Again  on  April  2  : 

We  are  making  collections  for  Mr.  Martyn's  brother's 
family,  who  in  him  have  lost  their  main  support.  We  have 
got  about  400/.,  and  Mr.  Thornton  has  sent  you  a  paper 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  them  some  aid  in  India. 

The  news  reached  Lydia  Grenfell  on  February  14,  1813. 
She  was  then  for  a  fortnight  at  Marazion,  where  every  spot 
recalled  the  past.  She  thus  communed  with  herself  and 
God  in  her  Diary  : 

Marazion  :  February  20,  181 3. 

I  am  fearful  to  retrace  the  last  week  on  two  accounts, 
lest  the  infirmity  of  nature  prevail,  and  I  give  way  to 
sorrow, — and  lest,  in  recollecting  the  wondrous  kindness 
and  love  of  God  my  Saviour,  I  increase  my  pride  and  not 
my  gratitude.  Oh,  shall  I  then  remain  silent  .-'  Shall  Thy 
mercies  be  forgotten  }  Teach  me,  O  Lord,  to  write  and 
speak  for  Thy  glory,  and  to  my  own  deeper  humiliation. 
Heard  on  the  14th  of  the  removal  of  my  most  tender, 
faithful,  and  beloved  friend  to  the  joys  of  heaven.  Oh,  I 
could  not  wish  his  absence  from  them  prolonged.  What  I 
only  wished  was,  and  now  I  am  reconciled  to  that  too, — I 
wished  to  have  been  honoured  of  God  so  far  as  to  have 
been  near  him,  or  that  some  friend  had  been.'  Lord,  if 
this  was  wrong,  forgive  me. — I  will  endeavour,  yea,  I  am 
enabled  to  say  of  this  too.  '  Thy  will  be  done.'  Great  has 
been  the  peace  and  tranquillity  of  my  soul,  such  nearness 
to  God,  such  a  hold  of  Christ,  such  hope  in  the  promises, 
such  assurance  of  bliss  and  immortality,  as  I  cannot 
express,  and  may  have  to  forget.     Oh,  that  I  may  never 

'  '  Paucioribus  lacrymis  compositus  es.' — Tac.  quoted  on  this  uccasion  by 
Sargent,  Memoir  of  Martyn,  p.  493. 


538  HENRY  MARTYN 

lose, — rather  would  I  lose  everything  I  most  prize,  every 
earthly  friend,  every  earthly  enjoyment,  than  this.  Oh, 
the  fear  of  doing  so,  or  of  the  abatement  of  spiritual  per- 
ceptions and  affections,  is  the  thing  I  most  dread,  and 
makes  me  long  to  die.  It  is  not  for  the  sake  of  rejoining 
that  blessed  spirit  of  my  friend,  though  I  have,  and  do, 
feci  that  too, — but  to  be  again  shut  out  from  Thy  possession 
is  what  I  fear. 

February  28. — A  silent  Sabbath,  at  least  to  me, — to  my 
ears,  I  should  say,  for  I  trust  God  speaks  to  my  heart. 
'Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye.  My  people,'  enables  me  to  take 
comfort.  I  feel  a  submission  to  the  will  of  God  which  is 
more  blessed  than  when  I  had  my  own  in  the  ministry  of 
the  Word, — yet  this  is  a  time  which  calls  for  prayer.  Lord, 
pour  out  the  spirit  of  prayer  on  me  and  many,  and  grant 
us  grace  to  ask,  fervently  yet  resignedly,  the  restoration  of 
Thy  preached  gospel.  Suddenly  are  we  deprived  of  it, — 
may  it  be  as  quickly  restored.  Very  weak  in  health,  so 
powerless  this  morning, — I  could  not  but  think  my  earthly 
bed  was  preparing  for  me  too,  and  that  my  soul  would 
soon  return  to  God,  but  I  am  better,  and  willing  to  stay  my 
appointed  time.  True,  to  perform  my  work  in  a  little 
time  might  be  what  I  should  rejoice  in,  but  I  am  willing 
to  live,  so  I  may  have  the  presence  of  God  with  me,  and 
be  engaged  in  His  service.  I  have  a  pleasure  in  supposing 
it  possible  the  blessed  spirit  of  my  friend  may  be,  on  some 
occasions,  sent  to  protect,  to  console,  and  counsel  me,— 
but  this  is  a  weakness,  and  perhaps  should  not  be  indulged. 
I  felt  this  afternoon  as  if  he  was  present,  as  I  sat  alone  in 
the  garden, — the  thought  only  disposed  me  to  solemnity 
and  pensiveness  of  mind.  I  am  afraid  of  my  dependence 
on  the  creature,  whether  embodied  or  not,  and  I  will  rather 
trust  to  the  sure  support  of  God's  Word. 

March  2. — Some  sorrowful  thoughts  will  enter  my 
mind  respecting  my  late  dear  friend,  and  call  forth  some 
sighs  and  tears  from  my  heart, — yet  is  that  heart  resigned 


THE    TWO   RESTING-PLACES  539 

to  the  will  of  God,  and  confident  of  His  having  done  all 
things  well  for  His  beloved  servant  Oh,  how  shall  I,  with 
wonder  and  praise,  listen  in  eternity  to  the  relation  of  his 
last  days  !  The  excess  of  affection  now,  and  the  unwilling- 
ness I  feel  that  he  should  have  suffered,  make  it  amongst 
my  mercies  that  a  veil  is  drawn  over  that  period  of  his 
life.  It  is  mercy  all,  and  God  is  good  to  me  in  everything. 
I  see  His  hand,  I  love  and  I  adore.  I  submit  and  resign 
myself  to  His  blessed  disposal  and  to  all  His  dispensations. 
I  have  been  thinking  how  necessary  for  me  it  was  that  we 
are  thus  separated  ;  for  during  his  life  I  felt  such  a  desire 
to  please  and  to  be  worthy  of  the  regard  he  entertained 
for  me,  that  it  was  my  bane,  and  caused  me  to  forget  God 
as  the  first  object  I  was  to  think  of  and  please.  I  accept 
the  punishment  sent  for  this  offence, — may  it  prove  an 
effectual  cure  of  this  evil  in  my  heart ! 

March  8. — During  the  last  few  days  I  have  experienced 
much  of  the  Divine  support  and  consolation  of  the  Gospel. 
It  has  been  a  time  of  conflict,  not  inward,  blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  I  have  enjoyed  a  constant,  uninterrupted 
peace,  a  peace  past  all  understanding,  unless  experienced. 
I  never  was  more  sensible  of,  or  rejoiced  more  in  the 
presence  of  God,  and  my  heart  rises  to  my  Maker  with 
delight  and  joy,  as  easily  as  I  breathe.  God,  '  as  soon  as 
sought,  is  found,'  through  Jesus  Christ, — but  I  have  been 
put  into  the  hands  of  a  bitter  enemy,  and  that  enemy.  .  .  . 
She  has  left  me,  and  I  pray  that  every  uneasy  feeling 
excited  in  my  breast  by  her  unkind  and  injurious  treatment 
may  depart  with  her.  Oh,  how  I  rejoice  that  no  storms 
can  molest  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord, — they  rest  from 
their  labours  of  every  kind.  Since  the  account  reached 
me  of  the  departure  of  my  dear  friend  to  be  with  Christ, 
which  is  far  better  than  to  be  here, — every  evil  I  suffer,  or 
fear,  is  blessed  in  its  purpose,  from  knowing  he  can  never 
feel  the  same ;  and  all  I  enjoy  or  behold  that  is  delightful, 
is  the  more  enjoyed  from   thinking  '  he  has  all  this,  and 


540  HENRY  MARTYN 

more,  in  perfection,  and  without  interruption.'  May  I 
accomplish  my  work  of  suffering,  or  ending,  or  labouring, 
and  then  enter  into  rest. 

March  13. — Nature  has  its  turn  in  my  feelings.  To- 
day I  have  been  given  to  feel  more  of  sorrow  for  the 
removal  of  my  beloved  friend,  and,  without  desiring  it  to 
be  otherwise,  to  mourn  my  own  loss.  The  recollection  of 
his  unmerited  kindness  softens  my  heart,  and  I  can  hardly 
forbear  indulging  a  tenderness  which  may  weaken  but 
cannot  strengthen  my  mind.  O  Lord,  I  beseech  Thee 
preserve  me  from  whatever  may  injure  my  soul  and  unfit 
me  for  Thy  service.  I  have  the  hope  of  heaven  too,  and 
that  is  enough.  In  heaven  we  shall  meet  and  unite  for 
ever  in  the  work  of  praise.  Life,  with  its  trials  and  cares, 
will  be  but  short.  May  I  only  desire  to  live  to  Thee,  my 
God,  and  finish  the  work  Thou  hast  given  me  to  do. 
Lord,  make  me  faithful,  self-denying,  and  submissive  to 
Thy  will. 

April  3.  —  My  thoughts  revert  to  the  possible  circum- 
stances of  my  late  dear  friend's  sufferings  and  death,  and 
I  am  sunk  low  by  doing  so.  It  was  the  last  step  he  had 
to  travel  below,  and  one  necessary  to  be  taken,  in  order  to 
reach  the  heights  of  glory.  There  let  me  view  him 
triumphing  with  his  Saviour,  and  through  His  meritorious 
sufferings  and  death  made  more  than  conqueror  over  all 
his  enemies.  I  must  think  more  of  his  glorious  Lord,  and 
less  of  the  servant,  either  as  suffering  and  labouring  or 
glorified  and  resting.  Lord,  be  graciously  present,  and  in 
the  contemplation  of  Thy  perfections;  and  the  review  of 
Thy  mercies,  let  me  forget  everything  beside. 

April  21. — A  letter  from  Tabreez,  dated  August  28, 
reached  me.  O  Thou  who  readest  my  heart,  direct  and 
sanctify  every  feeling.  May  the  anguish  of  my  soul  be 
moderated,  and  let  me  endeavour  to  exercise  faith  in  Thy 
Divine  goodness,  mercy,  and  power,  and  to  believe  it  was 
(veil  with  him  in  all  respects. 


THE   TWO  RESTING-PLACES  541 

April  24. — I  am  tormented  with  fears  that  even  in 
eternity  I  shall  never  be  capable  of  enjoying  the  same 
happiness  my  departed  friend  does,  and  it  seems  as  if  no 
other  would  satisfy  me.  O  Lord  Jesus,  weary  and  heavy 
laden  I  come  to  Thee  ;  let  me  behold  the  light  of  Thy 
countenance,  and  praise  Thee,  and  lose  in  the  contemplation 
of  Thy  glories,  and  in  the  sense  of  Thy  love  to  my  soul, — 
let  me  lose  the  remembrance  of  every  other  excellence. 
When  the  sun  shines  the  light  of  the  stars  is  eclipsed  ; 
thus  may  it  be  with  me  ! — Unless  the  genius  which  shone 
in  his  character  make  me  admire  and  love  God  more,  let 
me  turn  from  viewing  them.  Oh,  teach  me  to  love  Thy 
saints,  whether  living  or  dead,  and  for  Thy  sake  and  Thy- 
self above  them  all.  I  have  never  felt  I  was  not  resigned 
to  the  will  of  God  in  our  separation  on  earth,  but  my 
anxious  mind  dwells  on  another,  which  I  cannot  bear  to 
think  possible. 

June  3. — For  several  days  my  mind  has  been  occupied 
with  recollections  that  weaken  its  hold  of  spiritual  things. 
I  think  more  of  a  departed  saint  than  of  the  King  of 
Saints.  It  is  strange  that  now  I  should  be  more  in  danger 
of  loving  too  well  a  creature  passed  into  the  skies  than 
when  he  lived  on  earth.  But  so  it  is, — continually  my 
thoughts  revert  to  him.  I  pray  God  this  may  not  be  a 
snare  unto  me  to  divide  me  from  Himself.  Let  me  behold 
Jesus. 

Ju7ie  13. — Passed  a  very  blessed  Sabbath.  My  soul 
quickened, — Oh,  let  it  live,  and  it  shall  praise  Thee  !  A 
letter  from  my  dearest  Emma  containing  wholesome, 
though  at  first  unwelcome,  counsel,  has  been  of  singular 
use  to  me.  The  snare  is  seen,  if  not  broken.  Yes,  I  have 
lost  my  hold  of  everything  that  used,  and  ought,  to  support 
me  by  allowing,  without  restraint,  the  remembrance  of  my 
late  dear  friend  to  fill  my  mind.  My  almost  constant 
thoughts  were  of  him,  and  pride  at  the  preference  he 
showed  me  was  fed,  as  well  as  affection.     Now  I  have  a 


542  HENRY  MARTYN 

painful,  difificult  part  to  act.  A  sacrifice  I  must  offer  of 
what  has  become  so  much  my  happiness  as  to  interfere 
with  my  enjoyment  of  God.  I  must  fly  from  the  recollec- 
tion of  an  earthly  object,  loved  too  well,  viewed  too  much. 
Let  me  follow  his  faith,  and  consider  the  end  of  his  con- 
versation,— Jesus  Christ,  the  same  for  ever.  I  have  had 
the  greatest  peace  to-day  in  only  trying  to  resolve  on  this, 
• — how  merciful  is  God  ! 

1 8 14,  January  28. — Found  great  sweetness  yesterday 
and  to-day  in  reading  and  sweet  prayer  in  the  garden  ; 
was  sensibly  refreshed  in  the  exercise,  and  had  a  taste  that 
the  Lord  was  gracious.  This  evening  my  heart  is  sad,  not 
from  the  withdrawing  of  those  consolations,  or  darkness  of 
soul,  as  is  often  the  case,  but  from  having  the  circumstances 
of  my  revered  friend's  death  brought  to  my  recollection, 
I  strive  not  to  dwell  on  them,  for  oh,  what  a  scope  do  they 
give  to  my  busy  fancy !  I  would  fly  from  this  subject  as 
too  high  for  me,  and  take  refuge  in  this  :  the  Lord  did  not 
forsake  His  servant,  and  precious  was  his  death  in  His 
sight.     Nature  is  weak,  but  faith  can  strengthen  me. 

February  1 2. — A  twelvemonth,  this  day,  since  I  heard  of 
the  death  of  my  dear  friend.  My  thoughts  revert  to  this  event, 
but  more  to  the  mercies  of  God  to  me  at  that  season. 

October  16. — My  thoughts  engaged  often  to-day  by  the 
event  of  this  day  in  18 12.  Twice  has  the  earth  performed 
its  annual  round  since  the  honoured  servant  of  God  received 
the  welcome  mandate  to  cease  from  his  labours,  and  join 
those  who  '  see  His  face '  and  *  serve  Him,'  unencumbered 
with  flesh  and  blood.  He  no  longer  measures  time  by  days 
and  years,  and  there  is  no  tedious  six  days  between 
Sabbath  and  Sabbath,  as  it  is  here.  *  How  blessed  are 
those  who  die  in  the  Lord.'  This  expresses  my  feelings 
most  at  the  remembrance  of  this  departed  saint.  May  I 
abide  in  Christ,  and  be  with  Him  and  His  saints  for  ever, 
O  blessed  hope  of  everlasting  life, — I  will  cherish  it,  exult 
in  it,  and  may  I  pursue  till  I  attain  it 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  543 

It  was  April  18,  181 3,  when  Corrie  and  Thomason  in 
India  learned  what  they  had  always  feared  since  the  dearest 
of  all  friends  to  them  had  passed  through  Calcutta  on  his 
way  to  Arabia.  Corrie  was  at  Agra,  and  he  wrote  to  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  C.  Shaw,  in  reply  to  a  letter 'containing 
the  affecting  intelligence  of  Martyn's  death,  to  us  afflictive, 
to  him  happy  beyond  expression.  I  could  find  nothing 
but  lamentations  to  express — lamentations  for  us,  not  for 
him.  He  was  meet  for  "the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light." 
My  master  is  taken  from  me ;  oh,  for  a  double  portion  of 
his  spirit !  The  work  of  printing  and  distributing  the 
Scriptures  will  henceforth  go  on  more  slowly.'  Again,  to 
Simeon  :  *  Could  he  look  from  heaven  and  see  the  Abdool 
Massee'h,  with  the  translated  New  Testament  in  his  hand, 
preaching  to  the  listening  throng,  ...  it  would  add  fresh 
delight  to  his  holy  soul.'  Thomason,  at  once  his  disciple 
and  his  friend,  wrote  :  '  He  was  in  our  hearts ;  we  honoured 
him  ;  we  loved  him  ;  we  thanked  God  for  him  ;  we  prayed 
for  his  longer  continuance  amongst  us  ;  we  rejoiced  in  the 
good  he  was  doing.  We  are  sadly  bereaved.  Where  such 
fervent  piety,  and  extensive  knowledge,  and  vigorous  under- 
standing, and  classical  taste,  and  unwearied  application 
were  all  united,  what  might  not  have  been  expected  ? ' 
When,  soon  after,  Thomason,  as  chaplain,  accompanied  the 
Governor-General,  Lord  Moira,  through  North  India,  and 
arrived  at  Cawnpore,  he  had  eyes  and  thoughts  only  for 
his  friend.  '  In  these  sandy  plains  I  have  been  tracing 
again  and  again  the  days  of  Martyn.  Close  by  me  is  the 
house  that  dear  minister  occupied,  leading  to  which  is  the 
gloomy  line  of  aloes  spoken  of  by  Mrs.  Sherwood.  .  .  .  Oh, 
for  Martyn's  humility  and  love!  .  .  .  His  standard  of  every 
duty  was  the  highest,  and  his  feelings  of  joy,  sorrow,  love. 


544  HENRY  MARTYN 

most  intense  ;  whilst  his  conversation  was  always  in  heaven, 
the  savour  of  his  holy  disposition  was  as  ointment  poured 
forth.  .  .  .  Woe  unto  us  if  we  do  not  pray  more,  live  more 
above  the  world  and  deny  ourselves  more,  and  love  Christ 
more  ! ' 

John  Sargent,  Rector  of  Lavington,  the  earliest  of  Henry 
Martyn's  intimate  friends,  at  once  undertook  to  write  a 
memoir  of  his  life,  for  which  Simeon  charged  himself  with 
collecting  '  all  possible  materials  from  India  and  Persia.' 
Bishop  Corrie  accordingly  addressed  Sargent  thus  : 

Agra:  November  I,  1813. 

It  will  be  of  use  for  you  to  know  that  when  he  left 
Cawnpore  in  18 10  to  seek  change  of  air  I  was  with  him, 
and  persuaded  him  to  leave  in  my  hands  a  number  of 
memorandums  he  was  about  to  destroy.  They  were  sealed 
up,  but  on  his  death,  being  opened,  they  proved  to  be 
journals  of  the  exercises  of  his  mind  from  January  1803  to 
1807  inclusive.  They  seem  to  me  no  less  worthy  of 
publication  than  the  journal  of  Mr.  Brainerd,  if  more  books 
of  that  kind  should  be  judged  necessary.  Since  the 
beginning  of  1807  Mr.  Martyn  favoured  me  with  almost 
a  weekly  letter,  in  which  his  various  employments  and 
engagements  for  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel  in  this 
country  are  detailed,  with  occasional  very  interesting 
remarks.  This  correspondence  ceased  on  my  being 
ordered  by  our  Commander-in-chief  to  assist  Mr.  Martyn 
in  the  duties  of  the  station  of  Cawnpore,  when  I  took  up 
my  abode  with  him  from  June  till  his  departure,  October  i. 
Other  letters  passed  between  us  after  that  time,  and  it  is 
my  intention  to  send  you  copies  of  all  the  above  corre- 
spondence, together  with  his  private  memorandums.  The 
latter,  with  copies  of  Martyn's  letters  from  February  to 
July  1807,  were  sent  off  this  day  to  Mr.  Thomason  in 
Calcutta,  to  be  forwarded  to  England  by  the  first  oppor- 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  545 

tunity,  and  the  copies  of  the  remaining  letters  shall  follow 
as  soon  as  may  be.  Of  course  I  have  omitted  to  copy 
what  seems  purely  personal :  yet  much  remains  which  you 
will  perhaps  judge  unnecessary  for  publication,  and  will 
exercise  your  own  judgment  on  that  head.  All  the 
extracts  seem  to  me,  however,  to  cast  light  on  the  progress 
of  missionary  work  in  this  land,  and  may  perhaps  be 
thought  interesting  to  those  who  take  a  concern  in  Indian 
affairs.  These  extracts  give  so  full  a  view  of  Mr.  Martyn's 
character  that  nothing  remains  for  me  to  add.  Only  I  may 
say  a  more  perfect  character  I  never  met  with,  nor  expect 
to  see  again  on  earth.  During  the  four  years  we  were 
fellow-labourers  in  this  country,  I  had  no  less  than  six 
opportunities  of  enjoying  his  company  ;  the  last  time  for 
four  months  together,  and  under  the  same  roof  all  the  time  ; 
and  each  opportunity  only  increased  my  love  and  veneration 
for  him. 

I  conclude  the  above  intelligence  will  plead  my  excuse 
for  writing  to  you  without  previous  introduction,  and  I  was 
anxious  it  should  reach  you  through  the  nearest  channel. 
Your  brother  in  Calcutta  has  told  me  several  times  of  your 
welfare,  and  during  beloved  Martyn's  life  I  used  to  hear  of 
you  sometimes.  Your  person,  whilst  a  student  at  King's 
College,  was  well  known  to  me,  and  your  character  admired, 
though  I  had  not  steadiness  of  principle  sufficient  at  that 
time  to  imitate  you,  and  consequently  had  no  pretensions  to 
an  acquaintance  with  you,  though  I  often  greatly  desired  it. 
To  that  '  Father  in  Israel,'  Mr.  Simeon,  I  owe  all  my 
comfort  on  earth  and  all  my  hopes  respecting  eternity  :  for 
through  his  instrumentality  the  seeds  of  grace,  I  trust,  were, 
during  my  residence  at  Cambridge,  especially  during  the 
latter  part  of  my  residence,  implanted  in  my  heart,  and  have 
influenced,  though  alas  !  unsteadily,  my  after  days. 

Lydia  Grenfell  was  of  course  consulted  as  the  work  made 
progress,  but  none  of  her  letters  to  Martyn  have  seen  the  light 

N  N 


546  HENRY  MARTYN 

1815,  December  26. — Wrote  this  day  to  Mr.  Simeon.  I 
have  reason  to  search  into  my  heart  and  watch  the  risings 
of  pride  there,  both  respecting  the  notice  of  this  blessed 
saint,  and  the  avowal  to  be  expected  of  my  being  the 
object  of  so  much  regard  from  another  still  more  eminent 
in  the  Church  of  Christ.  I  have  ever  stood  amazed  at 
this,  and  now  that  in  the  providence  of  God  it  seems 
certain  that  my  being  so  favoured  is  likely  to  be  made 
known,  vanity  besets  me.  Oh,  how  poor  a  creature  am  I  ! 
Lord,  I  pray,  let  me  be  enabled  to  trace  some  evidence  of 
Thine  eternal  love  to  me,  and  let  this  greater  wonder  call 
off  my  thoughts  from  every  other  distinction.  But  how 
do  I  learn  that  in  the  whole  of  this  notice  my  thoughts 
have  not  indeed  been  Thine,  O  Lord,  nor  my  ways  Thy 
ways  }  How  much  above  all  I  could  have  conceived  of 
have  been  the  designs  of  God  !  I  sought  concealment,  and 
lo !  all  is  made  known  to  many,  and  much  will  be  even 
known  to  the  world.  It  is  strange  for  me  to  credit  this, 
and  strange  that,  with  my  natural  reserve  and  the  peculiar 
reasons  that  exist  for  my  wishing  to  have  this  buried  in 
silence,  I  am  nevertheless  composed  about  it.  But,  Lord, 
I  would  resign  myself,  and  all  things  that  concern  me,  to 
Thy  sovereign  will  and  pleasure.  Preserve  me  blameless 
to  Thine  eternal  kingdom,  and  grant  me  an  everlasting 
union  with  thy  servant  above. 

1816,  January  28. — I  feel  an  increased  thankfulness 
that  God  has  called  me  to  live  free  from  the  many  cares 
which  fall  on  all  in  the  married  state,  and  for  the  peculiarly 
favourable  circumstances  He  has  placed  me  in  here.  The 
privilege  of  watching  over  my  mother  in  the  decline  of  life, 
the  charge  of  a  sweet  child,  the  occupation  of  the  schools, 
and  a  portion  of  this  world's  goods  for  the  use  of  the  poor, 
— all,  all  call  for  more  thankfulness  and  diligence.  Lord, 
help  me  to  abound  in  both,  and  with  and  above  all  I  have 
peace  and  hope  in  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  in  a  measure 
—though  unbelief  often  robs  my  soul  of  both.     Oh,  let  me 


THE   TWO  RESTING-PLACES  547 

seek  the  grace  of  steadfast  faith,  and  I  have  all  I  want  or 
desire. 

April  21. — Thought  with  delight  of  my  loved  friends, 
Mrs.  Hoare  and  H.  M.,  both  before  the  Throne,  led  by  the 
Lamb  to  living  fountains  of  waters,  and  all  tears  wiped 
away  from  their  eyes.  Oh,  I  long  to  be  there  ;  yet  I  could 
willingly  forego  the  joys  of  heaven  if  I  might,  by  suffering 
or  labours  here,  glorify  my  Lord  and  Saviour. 

June  30. — Often  have  I  thought,  when  desirous  of  pur- 
suing a  more  consistent  deportment,  and  of  introducing 
spiritual  subjects  :  '  How  can  I  appear  so  different  before 
those  I  have  been  so  trifling  and  merely  worldly  in  all  my 
intercourse  with  ? '  The  death  of  my  esteemed  and  beloved 
brother  in  Christ,  H.  M.,  I  thought  would  have  been  the 
period  for  my  maintaining  that  serious  watchfulness  so 
essential  to  my  enjoyment  of  God  ;  but  no,  I  have  been 
worse  since,  I  think,  as  a  judgment  for  failing  in  my  keep- 
ing my  resolution. 

In  1817  Lydia  Grenfell's  Diary  records  the  visits  of  such 
men  as  Mr.  Fenn,  '  who  came  to  preach  in  the  great  cause 
of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,'  and  of  Mr.  Bickersteth, 
who  at  Penzance  '  stated  what  he  had  met  with  in  Africa.' 
The  author  of  many  immortal  hymns,  Francis  Thomas 
Lyte,  '  opened  his  ministry '  of  two  years  in  Marazion  at 
this  time,  to  her  joy  and  spiritual  growth.  She  notes  on 
August  31,  1 8 17,  that  his  hymn  'Penitence'  was  sung  for 
the  first  time. 

Marazion  :  March  6,  18 19. 
Received,  a  few  days  since,  Mr.  Sargent's  Memoir, 
and  reading  only  a  few  pages  has  convinced  me  that, 
without  a  greater  resemblance  in  the  spirit  to  our  friend, 
I  never  can  partake  of  that  blessedness  now  enjoyed  by  the 
happy  subject  of  it  in  the  presence  of  his  Saviour.  It  is 
chiefly  in  humility,  meekness,  and  love  I  see  the  sad,  the 

N  N  2 


548  HENRY  MARTYN 

total  difference.  This  may  be  traced  to  a  departure  from 
the  fountain  of  grace,  Christ  Jesus,  to  whom,  oh,  may  I 
return,  and  I  shall  be  replenished. 

October  14. — Indulged  a  wandering  imagination,  and  am 
sad  in  consequence.  This  season  I  ought  to  deem  a  sacred 
one.  Oh,  that,  in  my  remembrance  of  Thy  blessed  .  .  . 
and  servant,  I  could  entirely  forget  what  feeds  my  vanity. 
Lord,  help  me  to  check  all  earthly  sorrow  at  the  recollec- 
tion of  his  many  sorrows,  for  were  they  not  the  appointed 
means  of  fitting  him  for  his  present  felicity,  and  of  mani- 
festing Thy  grace,  by  which  Thou  art  glorified  ?  I  would 
make  this  season  one  of  serious  preparation  for  my  own 
departure,  and  what  does  that  preparation  consist  in  } — 
faith  in  Jesus.  Oh,  strengthen  it  in  me,  and  by  following 
Thy  blessed  saint  in  all  virtuous  and  godly  living  I  may 
come  to  those  eternal  joys  prepared  for  those  that  love 
Thee. 

1 820,  June  25. — Oh,  what  a  heaven  for  a  creature,  who  has 
no  strength,  or  wisdom,  or  righteousness,  like  myself,  to  be 
fixed  in,  beholding  the  glories  of  Jehovah  manifested  in  Him 
who  is  my  Saviour  and  my  Lord.  Gladly  would  I  part  from 
this  dull  clod  of  earth  and  come  to  Thee,  and  reach  the 
pure  pleasures  of  a  spiritual  state.  There,  there  dwells  the 
blessed  Martyn,  who  bows  before  the  throne,  of  a  glorious 
company  of  saints,  washed  with  him,  and  clothed  in  spot- 
less robes.     Oh,  (that)  I  may  be  brought  to  them. 

December  5. — Thought  of  the  holy  martyr,  so  humble, 
so  self-denying,  so  devoted,  and  of  his  early-accomplished 
prayer  for  the  heavenly  country,  where  he  dwells  perfect  in 
purity  and  love.  Oh,  to  be  a  follower  of  him  as  he  followed 
Christ,  and  to  walk  in  the  same  paths,  influenced  by  the 
same  holy,  humble,  heavenly  principles,  upheld  by  the 
same  arm  of  omnipotent  grace,  till  I  too  reach  the  rest 
above. 

i2>2i,  January  23. — Elevated  rather  than  refreshed  and 
humbled  in  worship  to-day.     Imagination    has  been  too 


THE   TWO  RESTING-PLACES  549 

active  and  unrestrained.  The  remembrance  of  past  events, 
in  which  that  blessed  saint  now  with  God,  H.  M.  (?  figured), 
has  been  filHng  my  mind.  This  should  not  be.  This  is 
not  communion  with  him,  now  a  glorified  spirit,  but  merely 
the  indulgence  of  a  vain,  sinful  imagination.  I  would  turn 
from  all,  from  the  most  holy  creatures,  to  the  Holy  One, 
and  the  just ;  spiritual,  and  moral,  yea,  Divine  glory  and 
beauty  I  may  behold  in  Him,  who  is  the  chief  among  ten 
thousand,  and  altogether  lovely. 

October  18. — I  have  now  survived  my  beloved  friend 
eight  years.  Eight  years  have  been  given  me  to  be  pre- 
pared for  that  world  of  blessedness  he  has  so  long  entered 
upon.     Alas  !  I  seem  less  so  now  than  at  any  period. 

1822,  October  16. —  The  remembrance  of  the  event  of 
the  day  has  been  rendered  useless  by  my  absence  from 
home  great  part  of  it.  It  should  be  the  occasion  for 
renewed  self-dedication,  of  more  earnest  prayer,  and  of 
humiliation  ;  for  the  recollection  of  being  the  cause  of 
increased  sufferings  to  Thy  saint,  O  Lord,  is  cause  for  con- 
stant humiliation.  I  would  realise  death,  and  look  to 
eternity,  and  to  that  glorious  Saviour,  for  whom  the  blessed 
subject  of  my  thoughts  lived  only  to  serve  and  honour.  Oh, 
never  more  shall  I  have  intercourse  with  the  beloved  friend 
now  with  Christ,  but  by  faith  in  Christ.  Lord,  help  me  to 
use  the  recollection  of  our  earthly  regard  to  promote  this 
end. 

October  19. — My  birthday  (forty-seventh)  follows  that 
of  the  anniversary  of  the  death  of  Martyn. 

December  31. — Read  dear  Martyn's  sermon  on  the 
Christian's  walk  with  greater  enjoyment  and  unction  than 
has  been  vouchsafed  unto  me  for  a  long  season.  The 
holy  simplicity  of  the  directions,  and  persuasive  motives 
to  walk  in,  as  well  as  receive,  Christ,  had  influence  in  my 
heart. 

1^22,,  January  11. —  Placed  in  my  room  yesterday  the 
print  of  dear  ]\L     Felt  affected  greatly  in  doing  so,  and 


550  HENRY  MARTYN 

my  tears,  which  seldom  flow  in  the  presence  of  anyone, 
I  could  not  restrain  before  the  person  who  was  fixing  it.' 
With  the  Saviour  now,  and  the  Saviour,  doubtless,  was 
with  him  in  his  greatest  agony,  even  the  agony  of  death — 
this  thought  will  be  the  more  familiar  to  me  by  viewing 
the  representation  of  Christ's  Crucifixion,  now  placed  over 
the  picture  of  His  servant.  I  trust,  by  a  prudent  and  not  too 
frequent  sight  of  both,  I  may  derive  some  advantage  from 
possessing  what  is  so  affecting  and  so  admonitory  to  me, 
who  am  declining  in  religious  fervour  and  spirituality. 
Thus  may  I  use  both,  not  to  exercise  feelings,  but  faith. 
I  cannot  behold  the  resemblance  of  M.  but  I  am  reminded 
that  God  wrought  powerfully  on  his  soul,  meeting  him  for 
a  state  of  purity,  and  love,  and  spiritual  enjoyment,  and 
that  he  has  entered  upon  it.  His  faithfulness,  and  dili- 
gence, and  self-denial,  and  devotedness  ;  his  love  to  God, 
and  love  for  souls ;  his  meekness,  and  patience,  and  faith, 
should  stimulate  me  to  earnestness  in  prayer  for  a  portion 
of  that  grace,  through  which  alone  he  attained  them,  and 
was  what  he  was. 

January  19. — Read  dear  Martyn's  sermon  on  'Tribula- 
tion the  Way  to  Heaven,'  with,  I  trust,  a  blessing  attend- 
ing it. 

1825,  October  16. — The  anniversary  of  dear  H.  M. 
gaining  the  haven  of  rest  after  his  labours.  Oh,  how  little 
do  I  labour  to  enter  into  that  rest  he  enjoyed  upon  earth. 

1826,  April  2. — God,  the  ever  gracious  and  merciful 
God,  Thee  would  I  bless  and  everlastingly  praise  for 
granting  me  the  favour  of  hearing  '  the  joyful  sound  '  of 

'  Her  niece  writes  of  her  when  she  received  the  news  of  Henry  Martyn's 
death  :  '  The  circumstances  of  his  affecting  death,  and  my  aunt's  intense  sorrow, 
produced  an  ineffaceable  remembrance  on  my  own  mind.  I  can  never  forget 
the  "upper  chamber  "  in  which  she  took  refuge  from  daily  cares  and  inter 
ruptions — its  view  of  lovely  Mount's  Bay  across  fruit-trees  and  whispering 
white  coelibes — its  perfect  neatness,  though  with  few  ornaments.  On  the 
principal  wall  hung  a  large  print  of  the  Crucifixion  of  our  Lord,  usually 
shaded  by  a  curtain,  and  at  its  foot  (where  he  would  have  chosen  to  be)  a 
portrait  of  Henry  Martyn.'- — The  Church  Quarterly  Review  for  October  188 1, 


THE    TWO  RESTING-PLACES  551 

His  rich  love,,  and  abounding  grace  by  Jesus  Christ,  this 
day,  and  by  a  messenger  unexpected,  and  beloved  as  a 
friend  and  brother.  The  text  was  that  I  once  heard 
preached  from  by  the  blessed  Martyn,  whose  spirit  I  pined 
to  join  in  offering  praises  to  God  after  sermon  :  '  Now  then 
we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ' 

June  18.  — My  friends  gone  to  heaven  seem  to  re- 
proach me,  that  I  aim  not  to  follow  them,  as  they  followed 
Christ.  The  beloved  Martyn,  the  seraphic  Louisa  Hoare, 
and  my  dear  ^  Georgina's  spirits  are  employed  in  per- 
petually beholding  that  God  whom  I  neglect,  and  remain 
unconcerned  when  I  do  not  delight  in  or  serve  (Him).  Oh, 
let  me  be  joined  to  them  in  the  sweet  work  of  adoration 
and  praise  to  Him  who  hath  loved  us,  to  Jesus,  our  one 
Lord  and  Saviour.     Amen. 

So  ends  the  Diary  of  Lydia  Grenfell,  the  eight  last 
years  of  her  life  afflicted  by  cancerous  disease,  and  one 
year  by  a  clouded  mind.^  To  the  manuscript '  E.  H.' — that 
is,  her  sister,  Emma  Hitchins— added  these  words  :  'This 
prayer  was  answered  September  21,  1829  ; 

And  now  they  range  the  heavenly  plains, 
And  sing  in  sweet,  heart-melting  strains.* 

The  motto  on  her  memorial  stone  in  the  churchyard 
of  Breage,  where  she  lies  near  another  holy  woman, 
Margaret  Godolphin,  first  wife  of  Queen  Anne's  prime 
minister,  is  '  For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee,  but 
with  great  mercies  will  I  gather  thee.' 

'  An  authoress,  and  member  of  the  Gurney  family,  who  died  in  April, 
1816. 

-  Her  Title  of  Honour,  by  Holme  Lee,  in  which  an  attempt  is  made  to 
tell  the  story  of  Lydia  Grenfell's  life  under  a  fictitious  name,  is  unworthy  of  the 
subject  and' of  the  writer. 


552  HENRY  MARTYN 


CHAPTER   XV 

BAPTIZED   FOR   THE    DEAD 

Henry  Martyn  is,  first  of  all,  a  spiritual  force.  Person- 
ally he  was  that  to  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him  from 
the  hour  in  which  he  gave  himself  to  Jesus  Christ.  To 
Cambridge  student  and  peasant  alike  ;  to  Charles  Simeon, 
his  master,  as  to  Kirke  White  and  Sargent,  Corrie  and 
Thomason,  his  admiring  friends ;  to  women  like  Lydia 
Grenfell,  his  senior  in  years  and  experience,  as  to  children 
like  his  cousin's  at  Plymouth,  and  David  Brown's  at  Aldeen ; 
to  the  rude  soldiery  of  the  Cape  campaign  and  the  East 
India  Company's  raw  recruits  as  to  the  cultured  statesmen 
and  scholars  who  were  broadening  the  foundations  of  our 
Indian  empire  ;  to  the  caste-bound  Hindu,  but  far  more 
to  the  fanatical  Arab  and  the  Mohammedan  mystic  of 
Persia — to  al  1  he  carried  the  witness  of  his  saintly  life  and 
his  Divine  message  with  a  simple  power  that  always  com- 
pelled attention,  and  often  drew  forth  obedience  and 
imitation.  His  meteor-like  spirit  burned  and  flamed  as 
it  passed  across  the  first  twelve  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  from  the  Cam  to  the  Fal,  by  Brazil  and  South 
Africa,  by  Calcutta  and  Serampore,  by  Patna  and  Cawnpore, 
by  Bombay  and  Muscat,  by  Bushire  and  Shiraz  and 
Tabreez,  to  the  loneliness  of  the  Armenian  highlands,  and 
the  exile  grave  of  the  Turkish  Tokat. 


BAPTIZED  FOR  THE  DEAD  553 

From  the  year  in  which  Sargent  published  fragments 
of  his  Journal,  and  half  revealed  to  the  whole  Church 
of  Christ  the  personality  known  in  its  deep  calling  unto 
deep  only  to  the  few,  Henry  Martyn  has  been  the  com- 
panion of  good  men  ^  and  women  of  all  the  Churches,  and 
the  stimulus  of  the  greatest  workers  and  scholars  of  the 
century.  The  latest  writer,  the  Hon.  George  N.  Curzon, 
M.P.,  in  his  exhaustive  work  on  Persia  (1892),  describes 
him  as  '  this  remarkable  man,  who  impressed  everyone 
by  his  simplicity  and  godliness  of  character/  though  he 
ascribes  the  '  effect  in  the  short  space  of  a  year  '  as  much  to 
the  charm  of  his  personality  as  to  the  character  of  his  mission. 

Perhaps  the  most  representative  of  the  many  whom 
Martyn  is  known  to  have  influenced  was  Daniel  Wilson, 
of  Islington  and  Calcutta.  When  visiting  his  vast  diocese 
in  1838  and  crossing  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  Bishop  Wilson  ^ 
thus  carefully  compared  the  Journal  with  corresponding 
passages  in  his  own  life : 

It  is  consoling  to  a  poor  sinner  like  myself,  who  has 
been  placed  in  the  full  bustle  of  public  business,  to  see 
how  the  soul  even  of  a  saint  like  H.  Martyn  faints  and 
is  discouraged,  laments  over  defects  of  love,  and  finds  an 
evil  nature  still  struggling  against  the  law  of  his  mind. 
I  remember  there  are  similar  confessions  in  J.  Milner.    It  is 

'  In  1816  Charles  Simeon  thus  wrote  from  King's  College  to  Thomason,  of  the 
Journal:  'Truly  it  has  humbled  us  all  in  the  dust.  Since  the  Apostolic  age 
I  think  that  nothing  has  ever  exceeded  the  wisdom  and  piety  of  our  departed 
brother  ;  and  I  conceive  that  no  book,  except  the  Bible,  will  be  found  to 
excel  this.  .  .  .  David  Brainerd  is  great,  but  the  degree  of  his  melancholy  and 
the  extreme  impropriety  of  his  exertions,  so  much  beyond  his  strength,  put 
him  on  a  different  footing  from  our  beloved  Martyn.' 

-  Bishop  IVilsori's  Journal  Letters,  addressed  to  his  family  during  the  first 
nine  years  of  his  Indian  Episcopate,  edited  by  his  son  Daniel  Wilson,  M.A., 
Vicar  of  Islington,  London,  1864. 


554  HENRY  MARTYN 

this  which  explains  the  seventh  of  Romans.  Henry 
Martyn  has  now  been  in  heaven  twenty-six  years,  having 
died  in  his  thirty-second  year.  Dearest  Corrie  was  born 
hke  myself  in  1778,  and  died  in  1837,  aged  fifty-nine,  and 
after  having  been  thirty-one  years  in  India.  He  has  been 
at  home  now  a  year  and  five  months.  When,  where,  how, 
I  may  be  called  hence  I  know  not.  The  Lord  make 
me  a  follower  of  them  who  through  faith  and  patience 
have  inherited  the  promises.      In  H.  M.zxX.yVi's,  Journals  the 

;  ("Spirit  of  prayer,  the  time  he  devoted  to  the  duty,  and  his 

fervour  in  it,  are  the  first  things  which  strike  me.     In  the 

/next  place,  his  delight  in  Holy  Scripture,  his  meditations 

Vin  it,  the   large  portions  he  committed  to  memory,  the 

nourishment  he  thence  derived   to  his    soul,  are   full   of 

instruction.     Then    his   humility  is  quite  undoubted,  un- 

(^feigned,  profound,  sincere.  There  seems,  however,  to  have 
been  a  touch  of  natural  melancholy  and  depression,  which 
was  increased  by  one  of  his  greatest  mistakes,  the  leaving 
England  with  his  affections  tied  to  Lydia  Grenfell,  whom 
he  ought  either  not  to  have  loved  or  else  to  have  married 
and  taken  her  with  him.  Such  an  ecstatic,  warm  creature 
as  Henry  Martyn  could  do  nothing  by  halves.  Separation 
was  martyrdom  to  such  a  tender  heart.  But,  oh,  to  imitate 
his  excellences,  his  elevation  of  piety,  his  diligence,  his 
spirituality,  his  superiority  to  the  world,  his  love  for  souls, 
his  anxiety  to  improve  all  occasions  to  do  them  good,  his 
delight   in  the    mystery  of   Christ,  his  heavenly  temper ! 

_4  These,  these  are  the  secrets  of  the  wonderful  impression  he 
made  in  India,  joined  as  they  were  with  first-rate  talents, 
fine  scholarship,  habit  of  acquiring  languages,  quickness 
and  promptitude  of  perception,  and  loftiness  of  imaginative 
powers. 

,  Henry  Martyn's  Journal  holds  a  place  of  its  own  in  the 

\  literature  of  mysticism.     It   stamps    him    as   the   mystic 

writer  and  worker  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  century  of 


BAPTIZED  FOR   IIIE  DEAD  555 

modern  missions  (1792-18 14),  as  his  master,  Robert 
Lcighton,  was  of  the  more  barren  period  that  ended  in 
1688.  The  too  Httle  known  Rules  and  Instructions  for 
Devout  Exercises,  found  among  Leighton's  papers,  written 
with  his  own  hand  and  for  his  own  use,  was  Martyn's 
'usual'  companion,  with  results  which  made  that  work' 
as  supplemented  by  the  Journal,  what  the  De  Iniitatione 
Christi  and  the  Theologia  Germanica  were  to  the  more 
passive  dark  ages  of  Christendom.  'At  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century  the  young  and  impulsive  Cornish  student 
found  himself  in  an  age  not  less,  to  him,  godless  and  anti- 
evangelical  than  that  which  had  wrung  from  the  heart  of 
at  least  one  good  man  the  hopeless  longing  of  the  Theologia 
Germanica.  He  had  seen  his  Divine  Master  crucified 
afresh  in  the  person  of  Charles  Simeon,  whom  he  possibly, 
as  Sargent  certainly,  had  at  first  attended  only  to  scoff  and 
brawl.  He  had  been  denied  a  church  in  which  to  preach  the 
goodness  of  God,  in  his  own  county,  other  than  that  of  a 
kinsman.  In  the  troopship  and  the  Bengal  barrack 
even  his  official  authority  could  hardly  win  a  hearing  from 
officer  or  soldier.  The  young  prophet  waxed  sore  in  heart, 
as  the  fire  burned  within  him,  at  the  unbelief  and  iniquity 
of  his  day,  till  his  naturally  sunny  spirit  scorched  the  souls 
he  sought  to  warm  with  the  Divine  persuasiveness.  He 
stood  really  at  the  opening  of  the  Evangelical  revival  of 
Christendom,  and  like  William  Carey,  who  loved  the  youth, 
he  was  working  out  his  own  side  of  that  movement,  but, 
equally  like  Carey,  he  knew  it  not.  He  was  to  do  as  much 
by  his  death  as  by  his  life,  but  all  he  knew  in  his  humility 
was  that  he  must  make  haste  while  he  lived  to  give  the 
millions   of  Mohammedans  the  Word,   and  to  reveal   to 

'  S&e  Journal,  passim,  especially  in  February,  1806. 


556  HENRY  MARTYN 

them  the  Person  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  multitude  of  his 
thoughts  within  him  he  committed  to  a  Journal,  written 
for  himself  alone,  and  rescued  from  burning  only  by  the 
interference  of  his  friend  Corrie. 

The  mysticism  of  Martyn  has  been  pronounced  morbid. 
All  the  more  that  his  searching  introspection  and  severe 
judgment  on  himself  are  a  contrast  to  the  genial  and  merry 
conversation  of  the  man  who  loved  music  and  children's 
play,  the  converse  of  friends  and  the  conflict  of  controversy 
for  the  Lord,  does  every  reader  who  knows  his  own  heart 
value  the  vivisection.  Martyn  writes  of  sin  and  human 
nature  as  they  are,  and  therefore  he  is  clear  and  comforting 
in  the  answer  he  gives  as  to  the  remedy  for  the  one  and 
the  permanent  elevation  of  the  other.  Even  more  than 
Leighton  he  is  the  Evangelical  saint,  for  where  Leighton's 
times  paralysed  him  for  service,  Martyn's  called  him  to 
energise  and  die  in  the  conflict  with  the  greatest  apostacy 
of  the  world.  Both  had  a  passion  to  win  souls  to  the  en- 
trancing, transforming  love  they  had  found,  but  unless  on  the 
side  against  the  Stewarts,  how  could  that  passion  bear  fruit 
in  action  "i  Both,  like  the  author  of  the  De  Iniitatione,  wrote 
steeped  in  the  spirit  of  sadness  ;  but  the  joy  of  the  dawn  of 
the  modern  era  of  benevolence,  as  it  was  even  then  called, 
working  unconsciously  on  the  sunny  Cornubian  spirit, 
kept  Martyn  free  alike  from  the  selfish  absorption  which 
marked  the  monk  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and  the  peace-loving 
compromise  which  neutralised  Leighton.  The  one  adored 
in  his  cell,  the  other  wrestled  in  his  study  at  Newbattle  or 
Dunblane,  and  we  love  their  writings.  But  Henry  Martyn 
worked  for  his  generation  and  all  future  ages  as  well  as 
wrote,  so  that  they  who  delight  in  his  mystic  communings 
are  constrained  to  follow  him  in  his  self-sacrificing  service. 


BAPTIZED  FOR   THE  DEAD  557 

Beginning  at  March  1807,  let  us  add  some  passages  from 
the  Journal  to  those  which  have  been  already  extracted  for 
autobiographical  purposes. 

I  am  thus  taught  to  see  what  would  become  of  me  if 
God  should  let  go  His  strong  hand.  Is  there  any  depth 
into  which  Satan  would  not  plunge  me  ?  Already  I  know 
enough  of  the  nature  of  Satan's  cause  to  vow  before  God 
eternal  enmity  to  it.  Yes !  in  the  name  of  Christ  I  say, 
*  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  ! ' 

Employed  a  great  deal  about  one  Hebrew  text  to  little 
purpose.  Much  tried  with  temptation  to  vanity,  but  the 
Lord  giveth  me  the  victory  through  His  mercy  from  day 
to  day,  or  else  I  know  not  how  I  should  keep  out  of  hell. 

May  the  Lord,  in  mercy  to  my  soul,  save  me  froffiN 
setting  up  an  idol  of  any  sort  in  His  room,  as  I  do  by/ 
preferring  a  work  professedly  for  Him  to  communion  with' 
Him.  How  obstinate  the  reluctance  of  the  natural  h^ctj 
to  God.  But,  O  my  soul,  be  not  deceived,  the  chief  work  A 
on  earth  is  to  obtain  sanctification,  and  to  walk  with  God.' 

0  great  and  gracious  God,  what  should  I  do  without 
Thee  ?  but  now  Thou  art  manifesting  Thyself  as  the  God 
of  all  consolation  to  my  soul.  Never  was  I  so  near  Thee ; 
I  stand  on  the  brink,  and  I  long  to  take  my  flight !  Oh, 
there  is  not  a  thing  in  the  world  for  which  I  would  wish  to 
live,  except  because  it  may  please  God  to  appoint  me 
some  work.  And  how  shall  my  soul  ever  be  thankful 
enough  to  Thee,  O  Thou  most  incomprehensibly  glorious 
Saviour  Jesus  ! 

1  walk  according  to  my  carnal  wisdom,  striving  to 
excite  seriousness  by  natural  considerations,  such  as  the 
thoughts  of  death  and  judgment,  instead  of  bringing  my 
soul  to  Christ  to  be  sanctified  by  His  Spirit. 

Preached  on  Luke  xii.  20 — *  This  night  thy  soul,'  etc. 
The  congregation  was  large,  and  more  attentive  than  they 
have    ever   yet    been.     Some    of  the   young   offlcers  and 


558  HENRY  MARTYN 

soldiers  seemed  to  be  in  deep  concern.  I  was  willing  to 
believe  that  the  power  of  God  was  present,  if  a  wretch  so 
poor  and  miserable  can  be  the  instrument  of  good  to  souls. 
Four  years  have  I  been  in  the  ministry,  and  I  am  not  sure 
that  I  have  been  the  means  of  converting  four  souls  from 
the  error  of  their  ways.  Why  is  this  ?  The  fault  must  be 
in  myself  Prayer  and  secret  duties  seem  to  be  where  I 
fail  ;  had  I  more  power  in  intercession,  more  self-denial  in 
persevering  in  prayer,  it  would  be  no  doubt  better  for  my 
hearers. 

My  heart  sometimes  shrinks  from  spiritual  work,  and 
especially  at  an  increase  of  ministerial  business  ;  but  now 
I  hope,  through  grace,  just  at  this  time,  that  1  can  say  I 
desire  no  carnal  pleasure,  no  ease  to  the  flesh,  but  that  the 
whole  of  life  should  be  filled  up  with  holy  employments 
and  holy  thoughts. 

My  heart  at  various  times  filled  with  a  sense  of  Divine 
love,  frequently  in  prayer  was  blessed  in  the  bringing  of 
my  soul  near  to  God.  After  dinner  in  my  walk  found 
sweet  devotion  ;  and  the  ruling  thoughts  were,  that  true 
happiness  does  not  consist  in  the  gratifying  of  self  in  ease 
or  individual  pleasure,  but  in  conformity  to  God,  in  obeying 
and  pleasing  Him,  in  having  no  will  of  my  own,  in  not 
being  pleased  with  personal  advantages,  though  I  might 
be  without  guilt,  nor  in  being  displeased  that  the  flesh  is 
mortified.  Oh,  how  short-lived  will  this  triumph  be  !  It 
is  stretching  out  the  arm  at  full  length,  which  soon  grows 
tired  with  its  own  weight 

I  travel  up  hill,  but  I  must  learn,  as  I  trust  I  am  learn- 
ing, to  do  the  will  of  God  without  any  expectation  of  any 
present  pleasure  attending  it,  but  because  it  is  the  will  of 
God.  Oh,  that  my  days  of  vanity  were  at  an  end,  and 
that  all  my  thoughts  and  conversation  might  have  that 
deep  tinge  of  seriousness  which  becomes  a  soldier  of  the 
cross. 

To   the   women  preached  on  the  parable  of  the  ten 


BAPTIZED  FOR   THE  DEAD  559 

pieces  of  silver,  and  at  night  to  the  soldiers  on  Rev.  i.  18. 
Afterwards  in  secret  prayer  drew  near  to  the  Lord.  Alas  ! 
how  my  soul  contracts  a  strangeness  with  Him  ;  but  this 
was  a  restoring  season.  I  felt  an  indignation  against  all 
impure  and  sinful  thoughts,  and  a  solemn  serenity  of  frame. 
Interceded  for  dear  friends  in  England  ;  this  brought  my 
late  dear  sister  with  pain  to  my  recollection,  but  I  felt 
relieved  by  resolving  every  event,  with  all  its  circumstances, 
into  the  will  of  God. 

Read  an  account  of  Turkey.  The  bad  effects  of  the 
book  were  so  great  that  I  found  instant  need  of  prayer, 
and  I  do  not  know  when  I  have  had  such  divine  and  ani- 
mating feelings.  Oh,  it  is  Thy  Spirit  that  makes  me  pant 
for  the  skies.  It  is  He  that  shall  make  me  trample  the 
world  and  my  lusts  beneath  my  feet,  and  urge  my  onward 
course  towards  the  crown  of  life. 

Spent  the  day  in  reading  and  prayer,  and  found  comfort 
particularly  in  intercession  for  friends,  but  my  heart  was 
pained  with  many  a  fear  about  my  own  soul.  I  felt  the 
duty  of  praying  for  the  conversion  of  these  poor  heathens, 
and  yet  no  encouragement  to  it.  How  much  was  there  of 
imagination  before,  or  rather,  how  much  of  unbelief  now  ; 
seeing  no  means  ready  now,  no  Word  of  God  to  put  into 
their  hands,  no  preachers,  it  sometimes  seems  to  me  idle  to 
pray.  Alas  !  wicked  heart  of  unbelief,  cannot  God  create 
means,  or  work  without  them  ?  But  I  am  weary  of  myself 
and  my  own  sinfulness,  and  appear  exceedingly  odious 
even  to  myself,  how  much  more  to  a  holy  God.  Lord, 
pity  and  save  ;  vile  and  contemptible  is  Thy  sinful  creature, 
even  as  a  beast  before  Thee  ;  help  me  to  awake. 

Some  letters  I  received  from  Calcutta  agitated  my 
silly  mind,  because  my  magnificent  self  seemed  likely  to 
become  more  conspicuous.  O  wretched  creature,  where  is 
thy  place  but  the  dust .-'  it  is  good  for  men  to  trample  upon 
thee.  Various  were  my  reveries  on  the  events  apparently 
approaching,  and  self  was  the  prominent  character  in  every 


56o  HENRY  MARTYN 

transaction.  I  am  yet  a  long  way  from  real  humility  ;  oh, 
when  shall  I  be  dead  to  the  world,  and  desire  to  be  nothing 
and  nobody,  as  I  now  do  to  be  somebody  ? 

Throughout  the  1 8th  enjoyed  a  solemn  sense  of  Divine 
things.  The  promise  was  fulfilled,  '  Sin  shall  not  have 
dominion  over  you.'  No  enemy  seemed  permitted  to 
approach.  I  sometimes  saw  naught  in  the  creation  but 
the  works  of  God,  and  wondered  that  mean  earthly  con- 
cerns had  ever  drawn  away  my  mind  from  contemplating 
their  glorious  Author.  Oh,  that  I  could  be  always  so,  see- 
ing none  but  Thee,  taught  the  secrets  of  Thy  covenant, 
advancing  in  knowledge  of  Thee,  growing  in  likeness  to 
Thee.  How  much  should  I  learn  of  God's  glory,  were  I 
an  attentive  observer  of  His  Word  and  Providence.  How 
much  should  I  be  taught  of  His  purposes  concerning  His 
Church,  did  I  keep  my  heart  more  pure  for  Him.  And 
what  gifts  might  I  not  expect  to  receive  for  her  benefit, 
were  I  duly  earnest  to  improve  His  grace  for  my  own  !  Oh, 
how  is  a  life  wasted  that  is  not  spent  with  God  and  em- 
ployed for  God.  What  am  I  doing  the  greater  part  of  my 
time  ;  where  is  my  heart  ? 

Sabat  lives  almost  without  prayer,  and  this  is  sufficient 
to  account  for  all  evils  that  appear  in  saint  or  sinner. 

I  feel  disposed  to  partake  of  the  melancholy  with  whicli 
such  persons  (Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montagu)  close  their 
lives.  Oh,  what  hath  grace  done  for  us !  The  thought 
sometimes  bursts  upon  me  in  a  way  which  I  cannot  de- 
scribe. It  is  not  future  bliss,  but  present  peace,  which  we 
have  actually  obtained,  and  which  we  cannot  be  mistaken 
in  ;  the  very  thing  which  the  world  seeks  for  in  vain  ;  and 
yet  how  have  we  found  it  ?  By  the  grace  of  God  we  are 
what  we  are. 

Trulx^  love  is  better  than  knowledge.  Much  as  I  long 
to  know  what  I  seek  after,  I  would  rather  have  the  smallest 
portion  of  humility  and  love  than  the  knowledge  of  an 
archangel. 


BAPTIZED  FOR   THE  DEAD  561 

At  night  I  spoke  to  them  on  '  Enoch  walked  with  God.' 
My  soul  breathed  after  the  same  holy,  happy  state.  Oh  that 
the  influence  were  more  abiding ;  but  I  am  the  man  that 
seeth  his  natural  face  in  a  glass. 

This  last  short  sickness  has,  I  trust,  been  blessed  much 
to  me.  I  sought  not  immediately  for  consolations,  but  for 
grace  patiently  to  endure  and  to  glory  in  tribulation  ;  in 
this  way  I  found  peace.  Oh,  this  surely  is  bliss,  to  have 
our  will  absorbed  in  the  Divine  Will.  In  this  state  are  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect  in  heaven.  The  spread  of 
the  Gospel  in  these  parts  is  now  become  an  interesting 
subject  to  you — such  is  the  universal  change. 

Perpetually  assaulted  with  temptations,  my  hope  and 
trust  is  that  I  shall  yet  be  sanctified  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  my  God.  'Purge  me  with 
hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean  ;  wash  me,  and  1  shall  be 
whiter  than  snow.'  When  I  really  strive  after  purity  of 
heart — for  my  endeavours  are  too  often  little  more  than 
pretence — I  find  no  consideration  so  effectual  as  that  of  the 
exalted  dignity  and  infinitely  precious  privileges  of  the 
saints.  Thus  a  few  verses  of  i  Eph.  are  more  influential, 
purifying,  and  transforming  than  the  most  laboured  reason- 
ing. Indeed,  there  is  no  reasoning  with  such  temptations, 
and  no  safety  but  in  flight. 

I  would  that  all  should  adore,  but  especially  that  I 
myself  should  lie  prostrate.  As  for  self,  contemptible  self, 
I  feel  myself  saying.  Let  it  be  forgotten  for  ever  ;  henceforth 
let  Christ  live,  let  Christ  reign,  let  Him  be  glorified  for 
ever. 

Henry  Martyn,  by  service,  escaped  the  weakness  and 
the  danger  of  the  mystic  who  seeks  absorption  into  God, 
in  the  mental  sense,  as  the  remedy  for  sin,  instead  of  a  free 
and  purified  individuality  in  Christ.  He  felt  that  the  will 
sins  ;  he  saw  the  cure  to  lie  not  in  the  destruction  of  the  will, 
but  in  its  rectification  and  personal  co-working  with  God. 

O  O 


S62  HENRY  MARTYN 

Absorption  is  spiritual  suicide,  not  service.  Martyn  realised 
and  taught  that  a  free  individuality  is  the  best  offering  we 
can  make  to  God  after  Christ  has  given  it  to  us  to  offer  to 
Him.  With  Martyn  moral  service  helped  spiritual  con- 
templation to  rise  heavenward,  and  to  raise  men  with  it  The 
saint  was  also  the  sacred  scholar  and  translator  ;  the  mystic 
was  the  prophet  preacher,  the  Persian  controversialist,  the 
unresting  missionary.  His  Christian  life  was  guided  by 
the  motto,  'To  believe,  to  suffer,  and  to  hope.'  His  pray- 
ing realised  his  own  ideal  of '  a  visit  to  the  invisible  world.' 
His  working  was  ever  quickened  like  St.  Paul's  by  the 
summons,  alike  of  the  Old  dispensation  and  the  New, 
which  he  cut  with  a  diamond  on  the  window  of  his 
college  rooms  "Eystpat,  6  Kadsvhcov,  koX  avdcrra,  *  Awake 
thou  that  sleepest  and  arise.'  When  the  fierce  flame  of 
his  love  and  his  service  had  burned  out  his  frail  body,  his 
picture,  painted  at  Calcutta  the  year  before  he  died,  spoke 
thus  to  Charles  Simeon,  and  ever  since  it  has  whispered  to 
every  new  generation  of  Cambridge  men,  '  Be  serious,  be 
in  earnest ;  don't  trifle — don't  trifle.' 

The  men  whom  Henry  Martyn's  pioneering  and  early 
death  have  led  to  live  and  to  die  that  Christ  may  be  re- 
vealed to  the  Mohammedans,  are  not  so  many  as  the 
thousands  who  have  been  spiritually  stimulated  by  his 
Journal.  Such  work  is  still  '  the  forlorn  hope  '  of  the 
Church  which  he  was  the  first  to  lead.  But  in  Persia  and 
Arabia  he  has  had  such  followers  as  Anthony  Groves, 
John  Wilson,  George  Maxwell  Gordon,  Ion  Keith-Falconer, 
I  and  Bishop  French.  Where  he  pointed  the  way  the  great 
missionary  societies  of  the  United  States  of  America  and 
of  England  and  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland  have  sent 
their  noblest  men  and  women. 


BAPTIZED  FOR   THE  DEAD  563 

The  death  of  Henry  Martyn,  followed  not  many  years 
after  by  that  of  her  husband,  who  had  been  the  first  to 
mark  his  grave  with  a  memorial  stone,  led  Mrs.  James 
Claudius  Rich,  eldest  daughter  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh, 
to  appeal  in  1831  for  '  contributions  in  aid  of  the  school  at 
Baghdad,  and  those  hoped  to  be  established  in  Persia  and 
other  parts  of  the  territory  of  Baghdad.'  In  the  same  year, 
1829,  that  Alexander  Duff  sailed  for  Calcutta,  there  had 
gone  forth  by  the  Scots  Mission  at  Astrakhan  to  Baghdad, 
that  Catholic  founder  of  the  sect  since  known  as  '  The 
Brethren,'  Anthony  N.  Groves,  dentist,  of  Exeter.  Taking 
the  commands  of  ^Erist  Hterally,  in  the  spirit  o  f  Henry 
Martyn,  he  sold  all  he  had,  and  became  the  first  of  Martyn's 
successors  in  Persia.  The  record  of  his  two  attempts  forms 
a  romantic  chapter  in  the  history  of  Christian  missions.^ 
All  theories  apart,  he  lived  and  he  worked  for  the  Moham- 
medans of  Persia  in  the  spirit  of  Henry  Martyn.  When  the 
plague  first,  and  persecution  the  second  time,  extinguished 
this  Mission  to  Baghdad,  Dr.  John  Wilson,^  from  his  central 
and  commanding  position  in  Bombay,  flashed  into  Arabia 
and  Persia  such  rays  of  Gospel  light  as  were  possible  at 
that  time.  He  sent  Bible  colporteurs  by  Aden  and  up  the 
Persian  Gulf;  he  summoned  the  old  Church  of  Scotland 
to  despatch  a  mission  to  the  Jews  of  Arabia,  Busrah,  and 
Bombay.  A  missionary  was  ready  in  the  person  of 
William  Burns  who  afterwards  went  to  China,  the  support 
of  a  missionary  at  Aden  was  guaranteed  by  a  friend,  and 
Wilson  had  found  a  volunteer  '  for  the  purpose  of  exploring 
Arabia,'  when  the  disruption   of  the  Church  of  Scotland 

'  Journal  of  Mr.  Anthony  N.  Groves,  Missionary  to  and  at  Baghdad^ 
London,  1831. 

2  The  Life  of  John  Wilson,  D.D.,  F.R.S.,  London,  1878. 

002 


564  HENRY  MARTYN 

arrested  the  movement,  only,  however,  vastly  to  increase 
the  missionary  development  in  India  and  Africa,  as  well 
as  church  extension  in  Scotland.  What  John  Wilson  tried 
in  vain  to  do  during  his  life  was  effected  by  his  death.  It 
was  his  career  that  summoned  the  Hon.  Ion  Keith-Falconer 
and  his  wife  to  open  their  Mission  in  Yemen,  at  Sheikh 
Othman  and  Aden.  Like  Martyn  at  Tokat,  in  the  far 
north,  and  just  at  Martyn's  age,  by  his  dust  in  the  Aden 
cemetery  Ion  JECeith- Falconer  has  taken  possession  of 
Arabia  for  Christ.  '  The  Memoirs  of  David  Brainerd  and 
Henry  Martyn  gave  me  particular  pleasure,'  wrote  young 
John  Wilson  in  1824.  '  Mind  to  get  hold  of  the  Life  of 
fohn  Wilson,  the  great  Scotch  missionary  of  India,'  wrote 
the  young  Ion  Keith- Falconer  in  1878.^  So  the  apostolic 
succession  goes  on. 

Gordon  of  Kandahar,  *  the  pilgrim  missionary  of  the 
Punjab/  was  not  the  least  remarkable  of  Henry  Martyn's 
deliberate  followers,  alike  in  a  life  of  toil  and  in  a  death  of 
heroism  for  the  Master.  Born  in  1839,  he  was  of  Trinity 
College,  Cambridge,  and  had  as  his  fellow-curate  Thomas 
Valpy  French,  when  the  future  bishop  came  back  from 
his  first  missionary  campaign  in  India.  Dedicating  himself, 
his  culture,  and  his  considerable  property  to  the  Lord,  he 
placed  his  unpaid  services  at  the  disposal  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  as  Martyn  once  did.  Refusing  a 
bishopric  after  his  first  furlough,  and  seeking  to  prepare 
himself  for  the  work  of  French's  Divinity  School  of  St. 
John  at  Lahore,  he  returned  to  India  by  Persia,  to  learn 
the  language  and  to  help  Dr.  Bruce  for  a  little  in   1871. 

'  Memorials  of  the  Hon.  Keith- Falconer,  M.A.,  late  Lord  Almoner's 
Professor  of  Arabic  in  the  University  of  Cambridge,  and  Missionary  to  the 
Muhammadans  of  South  Arabia,  by  Rev.  Robert  Sinker,  D.D.,  p.  146  of  ist 
edition,  1888. 


BAPTIZED  FOR    THE   DEAD  565 

The  famine  was  sore  in  that  land,  and  he  lived  for  its 
people  as  'relievin^r  officer,  doctor,  purveyor,  poorhouse 
guardian,  outfitter  and  undertaker.  There  is  a  cry  like  the 
cry  of  Egypt  in  the  night  of  the  Exodus — not  a  house  in 
which  there  was  not  one  dead.'  So  he  wrote.'  From 
Julfa  he  carried  relief  to  Shiraz,  where  he  found  himself  in 
the  midst  of  the  associations  made  sacred  by  Henry 
Martyn's  residence  there.  '  I  have  taken  up  my  quarters 
in  a  Persian's  house,  and  have  a  large  garden  all  to  myself 
I  am  in  the  very  same  house  which  Henry  Martyn  was  in. 
I  heard  to-day  that  my  host  is  the  grandson  of  his  host 
Jaffir  Ali  Khan,  and  that  the  house  has  come  down  from 
father  to  son.' 

Eight  years  after  Gordon  was  in  Kandahar,  sole 
(honorary)  chaplain  to  the  twenty  regiments  who  were 
fighting  the  Ameer  of  Afghanistan.  There  he  found  the 
assistant  to  the  political  officer  attached  to  the  force  to  be 
the  same  Persian  gentleman  who  had  been  his  host  at 
Shiraz,  and  with  whom  when  a  child  Martyn  must  have 
played.  Gordon  learned  from  him  that  the  roads  and 
sanitary  improvements  made  as  relief  works,  as  well  as  the 
orphanage  started  on  the  interest  of  the  famine  relief  fund 
sent  from  London,  were  still  blessing  the  people.  When, 
after  the  black  day  of  Mai  wand,  the  British  troops  were 
besieged  in  Kandahar,  till  relieved  by  the  march  and  the 
triumph  of  Lord  Roberts,  Gordon  as  chaplain  attended  a 
sortie  to  dislodge  the  enemy.  Hearing  that  wounded  men 
were  lying  in  a  shrine  outside  the  Kabul  gate,  he  led  out 
some  bearers  with  a  litter,  and  found  that  the  dying  men 
were  in  another  shrine  still  more  distant.     In  spite  of  all 

'   George  Maxioell  Gordon,  Af.A.,  F.R.G.S.,  a  History  of  his  Life  and 
Work^  1839-1880,  by  the  Rev.  Arthur  Lewis,  M.A.,  London,  1889. 


566  HENRY  MARTYN 

remonstrance  he  dashed  through  the  murderous  fire  of  the 
enemy,  was  struck  down,  and  was  himself  carried  back 
on  the  htter  he  had  provided  for  others.  He  did  not  live 
to  wear  the  Victoria  Cross,  but  was  on  the  same  day, 
August  1 6,  laid  in  a  soldier's  grave. 

It  would  seem  difficult  to  name  a  follower  more  worthy 
of  Henry  Martyn  than  that,  but  Bishop  French  was  such 
a  disciple.  More  than  any  man,  as  saint  and  scholar,  as 
missionary  and  chaplain,  as  the  friend  of  the  Mohammedan 
and  the  second  apostle  of  Central  Asia,  he  was  baptized 
for  the  dead.  Born  on  the  first  day  of  1825,  son  of  an 
Evangelical  clergyman  in  Burton-on-Trent,  a  Rugby  boy, 
and  Fellow  and  Tutor  of  University  College,  Oxford, 
Thomas  Valpy  French  was  early  inspired  by  Martyn's  life 
and  writings.  These  and  his  mother's  holiness  sent  him 
forth  to  Agra  in  1850,  along  with  Edward  Stuart  of 
Edinburgh,  now  Bishop  of  Waiapu,  New  Zealand,  to  found 
the  Church  Missionary  College  there.  In  the  next  forty 
years,  till  he  resigned  the  bishopric  of  Lahore  that  he 
might  give  the  rest  of  his  life  to  work  out  the  aspirations 
of  Martyn  in  Persia  and  Arabia,  he  consecrated  himself  and 
his  all  to  Christ.  It  will  be  a  wonderful  story  if  it  is  well 
told.  He  then  went  home  for  rest,  first  of  all,  but  took  the 
way  north  through  Persia  and  Turkey  on  Martyn's  track, 
so  that  in  April  1888  he  wrote  from  Armenia:  'Were  I 
ignorant  both  of  Arabic  and  French,  I  should  subside  into 
the  perfect  rest,  perhaps,  which  I  require.'  So  abundant 
were  his  labours  to  groups  of  Mohammedans  and  among 
the  Syrian  Christians,  that  he  had  nearly  found  a  grave  in 
the  Tokat  region. 

After  counselling  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  as  to 
the  project  of  so  reforming  the  Oriental  Churches  as  to 


BAPTIZED  FOR   THE  DEAD  567 

convert  them  themselves  into  the  true  apostles  of  the 
Mohammedan  race,  Bishop  French  returned  to  Asia  and 
settled  near  Muscat,  whence  he  wrote  thus  on  March  10, 
1891,  his  last  letter  to  the  Church  Missionary  Society  : 

Those  three  years  of  Arab  study  will  not,  I  trust,  be 
thrown  away  and  proved  futile.  In  memory  of  H.  Martyn's 
pleadings  for  Arabia,  Arabs,  and  the  Arabic,  I  seem  almost 
trying  at  least  to  follow  more  directly  in  his  footsteps  and 
under  his  guidance,  than  even  in  Persia  or  India,  however 
incalculable  the  distance  at  which  the  guided  one  follows 
the  leader !  .  .  .  . 

I  have  scarcely  expressed  in  the  least  degree  the  view 
I  have  of  the  extremely  serious  character  of  the  work  here 
to  be  entered  upon  ;  and  the  possible — nay  probable — 
severity  of  the  conflict  to  be  expected  and  faithfully 
hazarded  by  the  Church  of  Christ  between  two  such  strong 
and  ancient  forces,  pledged  to  such  hereditary  and  deep- 
grounded  hostility.  Yet  The  Lamb  shall  overcome  them; 
for  He  is  Lord  of  Lords,  and  King  of  Kings  ;  and  they 
also  shall  overcome  that  are  with  Him^  called  and  chosen  and 
faithful 

Two  months  after,  on  May  14,  1891,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six,  after  exposure  and  toils  like  Martyn's,  he  was 
laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  of  Muscat  by  the  sailors  of 
H.M.S.  Sphinx,  to  whom  he  had  preached. 

Henry  Martyn  at  Tokat,  John  Wilson  at  Bombay, 
George  Maxwell  Gordon  at  Kandahar,  Ion  Keith-Falconer 
at  Aden,  and  Thomas  Valpy  French  at  Muscat,  have  by 
their  bodies  taken  possession  of  Mohammedan  Asia  for 
Christ  till  the  resurrection.  Of  each  we  say  to  ourselves 
and  to  our  generation  : 

Is  it  for  nothing  he  is  dead  ? 

Send  forth  your  children  in  his  stead  ! 


1/ 


|68  HENRY  MARTYN 

O  Eastern  lover  from  the  West  ! 

Thcu  hast  out  soared  these  prisoning  bars  j 
Thy  memory,  on  thy  Master's  breast, 

UpHfts  us  Hke  the  beckoning  stars. 
We  follow  now  as  thou  hast  led, 
Baptize  us,  Saviour,  for  the  dead. ' 

Each,  like  not  a  few  American  missionaries,  men  and 
women,  like  Dr.  Bruce  and  his  colleagues  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  like  Mr.  W.  W.  Gardner  and  Dr.  J.  C. 
Young  of  the  Scottish  Keith-Falconer  Mission,  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  two  great  principles,  as  expressed  by 
Dr.  Bruce :  (i)  That  the  lands  under  the  rule  of  Islam  belong 
to  Christ,  and  that  it  is  the  bounden  duty  of  the  Church  to 
claim  them  for  our  Lord.  (2)  That  duty  can  be  performed 
only  by  men  who  are  willing  to  die  in  carrying  it  out. 

Henry  Martyn's  words,  almost  his  last,  on  his  thirty- 
first  birthday  were  these  :  '  The  Word  of  God  has  found 
its  way  into  this  land  of  Satan  (Persia),  and  the  devil  will 
never  be  able  to  resist  it  if  the  Lord  hath  sent  it'  We 
have  seen  what  sort  of  men  the  Lord  raised  up  to  follow 
him.  This  is  what  the  Societies  have  done.  In  1829  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions 
began,  and  in  1871  the  Presbyterian  Board  shared,  the 
mission  to  Persia  and  Asiatic  Turkey.  The  former  has 
missionaries  at  Aintab,  Marash,  Antioch,  Aleppo,  and  Oorfa, 
to  the  south  of  the  Taurus  range,  being  its  mission  to  Central 
Turkey ;  at  Constantinople,  Adrianople,  Smyrna,  Broosa, 
Nicomedia,  Trebizond,  Marsovan,  Sivas,  including  Tokat, 
and  Caesarea,  being  its  mission  to  Western  Turkey ;  at 
Erzroom,  Harpoot,  and  Arabkir,  uniting  with  the  Assyrian 
stations  of  Mardin  and  Diarbekir,  its  mission  to  Eastern 

•  Archdeacon  Moule  in  the  Church  Missionary  Intelligencer. 


BAPTIZED  FOR   THE  DEAD  569 

Turkey.  Taking  up  the  evangelisation  at  Oroomiah,  the 
American  Presbyterians  unite  with  that  Tabreez,  Mosul, 
and  Salmas  as  their  Western,  and  Teheran  and  Hainadan 
as  their  Eastern  Persia  Mission.  In  1876  a  letter  of  Henry 
Venn's  and  the  urgency  of  its  principal  missionary,  Dr. 
Bruce,  led  the  Church  Missionary  Society  to  charge  itself 
with  the  evangelisation,  by  a  revised  version  of  the  Persian 
Bible  and  medical  missions,  of  the  whole  southern  half  of 
the  ancient  kingdom  of  Persia,  the  whole  of  Nimrod's 
Babylonia,  and  the  eastern  coast  of  Arabia,  from  Julfa 
(Ispahan)  and  Baghdad  as  centres.  Veiy  recently  the 
independent  Arabian  Mission  of  America  has  made  Busrah 
its  headquarters  for  Turkish  Arabia.  The  Latin  Church 
since  1838  has  worked  for  the  Papacy  alone.  The  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury's  mission  since  1886  has  sought  to 
influence  the  Nestorian  or  Syrian  Church,  which  in  the 
seventh  century  sent  forth  missionaries  to  India  from 
Seleucia,  Nisibis,  and  Edessa,  and  now  desires  protection 
from  Romish  usurpation.  All  these  represent  a  vast  and 
geographically  linked  organisation  claiming,  at  long  inter- 
vals, the  whole  of  Turkey,  Persia,  and  Arabia  for  Christ 
since  Henry  Martyn  pointed  the  way.  Dr.  Robert  Bruce, 
writing  to  us  from  Julfa,  thus  sums  up  the  results  and  the 
prospect : 

I  believe  there  is  a  great  work  going  on  at  present  in 
Persia,  and  Henry  Martyn  and  his  translations  prepared 
the  way  for  it,  to  say  nothing  of  his  life  sacrifice  and  prayers 
for  this  dark  land.  The  Babi  movement  is  a  very  remark- 
able one,  and  is  spreading  far  and  wide,  and  doing  much 
to  break  the  power  of  the  priesthood.  Many  of  the  Babis 
are  finding  their  system  unsatisfactory,  and  beginning  to 
see  that  it  is  only  a  half-way  house  (in  which  there  is  no 


570  HENRY  MARTYN 

rest  or  salvation)  to  Christianity.  Ispahan  has  been  kept 
this  year  in  a  constant  state  of  turmoil  by  the  ineffectual 
efforts  of  two  moollas  to  persecute  both  Babis  and  Jews.' 
They  have  caused  very  great  suffering  to  some  of  both  these 
faiths,  but  they  have  been  really  defeated,  and  all  these 
persecutions  have  tended  towards  religious  liberty.  Our 
mission-house  is  the  refuge  of  all  such  persecuted  ones,  and 
the  light  is  beginning  to  dawn  upon  them. 

While  the  whole  Church,  and  every  meditative  soul 
seeking  deliverance  from  self  in  Jesus  Christ,  claims  Henry 
Martyn,  he  is  specially  the  hero  of  the  Church  of  England. 
An  Evangelical,  he  is  canonised,  so  far  as  ecclesiastical  art 
can  legitimately  do  that,  in  the  baptistry  of  the  new 
cathedral  of  his  native  city.  A  Catholic,  his  memory  is 
enshrined  in  the  heart  of  his  own  University  of  Cambridge. 
There,  in  the  New  Chapel  of  St.  John's  College,  in  the 
nineteenth  bay  of  its  interior  roof,  his  figure  is  painted  first 
of  the  illustriores  of  the  eighteenth  Christian  century,  before 
those  of  Wilberforce,  Wordsworth,  and  Thomas  Whytehead, 
missionary  to  New  Zealand.  In  the  market  place,  beside 
Charles  Simeon's  church,  there  was  dedicated  on  October  i8, 
1887,  'The  Henry  Martyn  Memorial  yah.'  There,  under 
the  shadow  of  his  name,  gather  daily  the  students  who 

'  Even  of  the  Soofis  the  ablest  authority  writes  :  '  The  remarkable  develop- 
ment, in  our  own  century,  which  has  been  given  to  the  story  of  the  death  of 
Hosein  should  encourage  us  to  hope  that  the  Divine  pathos  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment will  one  day  soften  these  hearts  still  jnore,  and  teach  them  the  secret  of 
which  their  poets  have  sung  in  such  ardent  strains.  A  Sufi  has  already  learnt 
that  Islam  cannot  satisfy  the  longing  soul.  He  is,  by  profession,  tolerant  or 
even  sympathetic  in  the  presence  of  the  Cross.  And  he  believes,  like  all 
Moslim,  that  Isa,  the  Messiah  of  Israel,  has  the  breath  of  life,  and  can  raise 
the  dead  from  the  tomb.  .  .  .  To  the  reflecting  mind,  however,  the  lyric 
effusions  of  Hafiz  prove  that  Eastern  philosophy  is  either  childlike  or  retro- 
grade, and  its  principles  at  the  mercy  of  those  seas  of  passion  upon  which  it 
has  so  long  been  drifting.'     Quarterly  Review^  January  1892. 


BAPTIZED  FOR    THE  DEAD  571 

join  in  the  University  Prayer  Meeting,  and  from  time  to 
time  the  members  of  the  Church  Missionary  and  Gospel 
Propagation  Societies.  '  This  was  the  hero-Hfe  of  my 
boyhood,'  said  Dr.  Vaughan,  the  Master  of  the  Temple 
and  Dean  of  Llandaff,  when  he  preached  the  opening 
sermon  before  the  University.  In  Trinity  Church,  where 
Martyn  had  been  curate,  the  new  Master  of  Trinity 
preached  so  that  men  said  :  '  What  a  power  of  saintliness 
must  have  been  in  Henry  Martyn  to  have  affected  with 
such  appreciative  love  one  whose  own  life  and  character 
are  so  honoured  as  Dr.  Butler's  ! '  In  the  Memorial  Hall 
itself,  ks  founder,  Mr.  Barton,  now  Vicar  of  Trinity  Church  ; 
Dr.,  now  Bishop,  Westcott,  for  the  faculty  of  Divinity  ; 
Dr.  Bailey,  for  St.  John's  College  and  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  ;  Mr.  Barlow,  Vicar  of  Islington, 
for  the  Church  Missionary  Society ;  and  the  Christian 
scholar.  Professor  Cowell,  for  all  Orientalists  and  Anglo- 
Indians,  spake  worthily. 

We  would  continue  his  work.  The  hopes,  the  faith, 
the  truths  which  once  animated  him  are  still  ours.  Still, 
as  on  the  day  when  he  preached  his  first  sermon  from  this 
pulpit,  is  it  true  that  if  each  soul,  if  each  society,  if  each 
heathen  nation  knew  the  gift  of  God,  and  Who  the 
promised  Saviour  is,  they  would  for  very  thirst's  sake  ask 
of  Him,  and  He  would  indeed  give  them  His  living  water. 
And  still  it  is  the  task  of  each  true  witness  of  Christ,  and 
most  of  all  of  each  ordained  minister  of  His  Word  and 
Sacraments,  first  to  arouse  that  thirst  where  it  has  not  yet 
been  felt,  and  then  to  allay  it  at  once  and  perpetuate  it 
from  the  one  pure  and  undefiled  spring.  And  still  each 
true  minister  will  feel,  as  Martyn  felt,  as  St.  Paul  himself 
felt,  'Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?*-  The  riper  he  is 
in  his  ministry,  the  more  delicate  his  touch  of  human  souls, 


572  HENRY  MARTYN 

alike  in  their  strivings  and  in  their  inertness  ;  the  closer 
his  walk  with  God  and  his  wonder  at  the  vastness  and  the 
silent  secrecy  of  God's  ways,  the  more  he  will  say  in  his 
heart  what  Martyn  said  but  a  few  days  after  his  feet  had 
ceased  to  tread  our  Cambridge  streets,  '  Alas  !  do  I  think 
that  a  schoolboy  or  a  raw  academic  should  be  likely  to 
lead  the  hearts  of  men  !  What  a  knowledge  of  men  and 
acquaintance  with  Scriptures,  what  communion  with  God 
and  study  of  my  own  heart,  ought  to  prepare  me  for  the 
awful  work  of  a  messenger  from  God  on  the  business  of  the 
soul  1 ' 

To  these  lessons  of  Martyn's  life  Dr.  Butler  added 
that  which  the  eighty  years  since  have  suggested  —  the  con- 
fidence of  the  soldier  who  has  heard  his  Captain's  voice, 
and  knows  that  it  was  never  deceived  or  deceiving :  Be 
of  good  cheer  ;  I  have  oveirojiie  the  world. 

In  that  confidence  let  the  Church  Catholic  preach 
Christ  to  the  hundred  and  eighty  millions  of  the  Moham- 
medan peoples,  more  than  half  of  whom  are  already  the 
subjects  of  Christian  rulers.  Thus  shall  every  true  Chris- 
tian best  honour  Henry  Martyn. 


INDEX 


ABB 

Anr.AS  MiRZA,  394 
Abdallah,  226 
Abdool  Massee'h,  286,  543 
Aberdeen  University,  328 
Acheen,  228 
Aden,  326,  333 
Afghanistan,  324,  565 
Africa,  South,  1 19,  125 
Aga  Boozong,  381,  457 

—  the  Mede,  454 
Agra,  217 

Aitchison,  Sir  C,  345 
Akbar,  218 
Albuquerque,  341 
Aldeen,  158,  196,  313 
Alexander  the  Great,  330 
Alford,  Dean,  on  Martyn,  447 
Algoa  Bay,  125 
Allahabad,  262 

Ambrose,  102 

Ameena,  Sabat's  wife,  270 

America,  South,  107 

American  Missions,  463,  56S,  569 

Amiens,  Treaty  of,  119 

Annie,  the  orphan,  264 

Arabic,  225,  325 

—  Bible,  226,  418 
Arabs,  333,  336 
Ararat,  497 

Arnxes  River,  496,  502 

Armenians,    134,  346,    385,   464,  499, 

515 

—  Bible,  418 
Arrah,  261 

Arlaxerxes  Ochus,  409 
Asaf-ood-Dowla's  tomb,  289 
Asiatics,  232 

Asiatic  Researches,  425 

—  Society  of  Bengal,  425 


BOB 

Associated  Clergy,  206 
Augustin  of  Canterbury,  7 
Augustine,  2,  33,  49 
Azerbaijan,  493 

Babington,  Mr.,  76 

Babism,  372,  569 

Badger,  Rev.  G.  P.,  527 

Bahia,  106 

Bailey,  Canon,  19,  571 

Baird,  Sir  David,  120 

Bandel,  197 

l^ankipore,  201 

Bap-re,  332 

Baptized  for  the  dead,  552,  567 

Barlow,  Rev.,  571 

Barlow,  Sir  George,  141 

Basil  the  Great,  530 

Basiliscus,  530 

Battle  of  Blaauwberg,  12I 

Baxter,  102 

Bede,  418,  460 

Behistun  Roclc,  409 

Bengal  Army,  136 

Bengali  Bible,  418 

Bengalis,  the,  148 

Bentinck,  Lord  W.,  146 

Berhampore,  250,  258 

Bettia,  219 

Bible  Translation,  72,  418 

—  Society,   British  and   Foreign,  314. 
421,  484 

—  Russian,  487 
Bihar,  201 

Bishop,  Mrs.,  463,  493 
Blaauwberg,  Bat  lie,  1 21 
Black  Hole,  134 
Blair's  Sermons,  no 
Bobbeiy  Hunt,  332 


574 


HENRY  MARTVN 


r.oM 

Honihay,  325 
Botany  Bay  convicts,  loi 
Bowley,  missionary,  431    ■^nf 
.  Brainerd,  David,  2,  33,  60,  91,  564 
Brazil,  108,  552  *" 

Breage,  44.  551 

British   India  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany, 316 
Brown,  Davidj  16,  135,  148,  196,  313, 

418 
Bruce,  Dr.  R.,  489,  569 
Buchanan,  Claudius,  16,  69,  135,  243 
Buddhism    134 
Bundelkhund,  277 
Bunder  Abbas,  340 
Bunyaa,  2 

Burke,  Edmund,  134 
Burmese  Bible,  418 
Burns,  William,  563 
Bushire,  339,  348 
Busrah,  519 
Butler,  Dr.,  571 
Butler's  Analogy,  28 
Buxar,  261 

Caesareia,  534 

Calcutta,  134,  147,  196 

Caldecott,  Rev.  A..  34 

Caldwell,  Bishop,  290 

Cambridge,  12,  15,  207 

Canal,  Ganges.  267 

Canning,  Chapl.\in,  468,  482 

Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  75,  566 

Cape  Colony,  119 

Cape  Town,  118 

Cardew,  Dr.,  9,  41 

Carey,  William,  4,  25,  133,  147,  418, 

487 
Carlyle,  Thomas,  4 
Carlyon,  Dr.,  20 
Carus,  34 

Cawnpore,  261,  266,  308 
Cecil,  R.,  59,  78 
Cemeteries,  Indian,  210 
Chaman,  483 

Chamberlain,  missionary,  200 
Chambers,  Sir  R.,  135 
-  W.,  135 
Chandernagore,  197 
Chaplaincies,  India,  72 
Chaplains,  the  Five,  16,  1 50 
Chatterton,  40 
Chesterfield's  Letters,  12 


DIS 

China,  27 

Chinese  Bible,  418 

Chinsurah,  197 

Christian  Knowledge  Society,  136,  226 

Christians  in  India  a  century  ago,  139, 

423 
Chrysostoni,  512,  534 
Chunar,  208,  260 
Church   Missionary  Society,    40,   136, 

399,  489 
Clapham,  65 
Clarke,  Rev.  A.  T.,  136 
Clive,  Lord,  12,  134 
Cole,  Captain  S.,  131,  145 
Colebrooke,  H.  T,,  425 

-  T.  E.,  327 
Colgong,  201 

College  of  Fort  William,  138,  151,  421 
Columba,  460 

Confessions  of  Augustine,  i,  12,49 
Constable's    edition    of    Persian    New 

Testament,  489 
Constantinople,  492 
Corentin,  St.,  7 
Cork,  96 
Cornwall  tin,  2 
Cornwallis,  Lord,  141 
Corre,  .Seiior,  107 
Corrie,   Bishop,  16,  61,  208,  286,  31 1, 

543 

—  Miss,  245 

Covenant  with  the  eyes,  76 
Cowell,  Professor,  372,  57 1 
Cowper,  the  poet,  2 
Craig,  Governor,  1 19 
Creighton,  135,  216 
Curgenven,  Laura,  239 
Cury's,  St.,  7 
Curzon,  G.  N. ,  358,  553 
Cutwa,  200 
Cyrillus,  418 
Cyrus,  370 

Dalhousie,  Marquis  of,  199 
Dante,  358 
Dare,  Mrs.,  237 
Darius,  Hystaspes,  4C9 
Darwin,  108 
Dealtry,  Bishop,  16 
Demonolators,  134 
Diamonds,  342 
Dinapore,  201,  258 
Dissenters,  168 


INDMX 


575 


DOD 

Doddridge,  17,  214 

Dravidian,  134 

Dryden,  358 

Duff,  Alexander,  24,  34,  146,  563 

Duncan,  Jonathan,  318,  326 

Dundas,  Sir  F. ,  119 

Dwight,  H.  G.  O.,  missionary,  520 

East  India  Company,  202,  529 

East  India  Company's  Charters,  138, 150 

Eclectic  Society,  59,  79 

Edesius,  418 

Edmonds,  Canon,  417,  420,  490 

Educational  missions,  201,  216,  274 

Edwards,  Jerusha,  91 

—  Jonathan,  28,  91 
Elam,  356,  441 
Eliot,  J.,  418 

Ellerton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  135,  201 
Elphinstone,  Admiral,  119 

—  Mountstuart,  316,  327 
Ely  Cathedral,  35 
English  Bible,  418 
Erasmus,  418 

Erivan,  499 
Erskine,  Dr.  J.,  132 
Erzroom,  508 
Etchmiatzin,  499 
Ethiopia,  120 
Ethiopic  Bible,  418 
Eudoxia,  534 
Eurasians,  222 

Fabricius,  418 
Fal  Estuary,  24 
Falmouth,  83,  88 
Parish,  Prof.,  74,  441 

—  of  Bombay,  330 
Farsakh,  493 
Flavel,  76 

Fletcher  of  Madeley,  165 
Forsyth,  missionary,  197 
Fowler,  George,  520 
Francis,  Philip,  201 
Franklin's  travels,  237 
Fraser,  Baillie,  483 
French,  Bishop,  290,  566 
Froude,  J.  A.,  44 
Frumentius,  418 
Fuller,  A.,  132 

Galitzin,  Prince,  487 
Ganges  ,the,  199 


HEL 
Ganges  Canal,  267 
Gardiner,  Capt.  A.,  108 
Gaya,  237 
George  III.,  343 
German  Bible,  418 
Ghazipore,  261 
Gilchrist,  Dr.,  72 
Gillespie,  Gen.,  277 
Glen,  Dr.,  489 
Glenelg,  Lord,  16,  19 
Goa,  318,  322 
Godolphin,  Margaret,  551 
Gombroon,  340 
Goorkha  war,  277 
Gordon,  G.  M.,  562,  564 
Gothic  Bible,  418 
Govan,  Dr.,  302 
Graaff  Reinet,  125 
Grace  Abounding,  Bunyan's,  2 
Grant,  Charles,  15,  65,  76,  136,  472 

—  Sir  Robert,  16,  19 
Greek,  330 

—  Church,  487 
Greenwood,  Rev.  W. ,  137 
Gregory  Nazianzen,  534 

—  Nyssen,  534 

Grenfell,  Lydia,  44,  50,  81,   105,   171, 
208, 239,  241,  304,  338,  472, 545, 550 

—  Diary,    84,    91,  98,    102,    106,    1S8, 
191,  29S,  476,  537,  546 

—  family,  44 
Grotius,  400 
Groves,  A.,  562 
Guadagnoli,  P.,  400 
Gulistan  Treaty,  345 
Gurlyn,  85 
Gwennap,  4,  5 1 

Hafiz,  357 

Haldane,  R.  and  J.,  132 

Hall,  Robert,  328,  516 

Hannington,  Bishop,  290 

Hanway,  Jonas,  237 

Hartwig,  P.,  66 

Hasan  and  Husain,  411,  455 

Hastings,  Warren,  137,  201 

—  Marquis  of,  142 
Havelock,  Sir  H.,  346 
Hawkins,  Judge,  432 
Heat  in  India,  261 
Heber,  Bishop,  288 
Hebrew,  426 
Helston,  88 


576 


HENRY  MARTYN 


Henry,  the  navigator,  341 

Henry  Martyn  Memorial  Hall,  570 

Hewett,  Gen.,  316 

Hindus,  224 

Hindustani  translation,   157,  199,  243, 

422,  431 
Hitchins,  Mrs.  T.  Martyn,  44,  47,  57 
Hooker,  102 
Hopkins,  Bishop,  25,  29 
Home's  Coiiuuentary,  89 
Hospitals,  military,  211 
Hottentot  sepoys,  120 
Hough's  Chrislianity  in  India,  144 
Hweng  T'sang,  202 
Hymns  referred  to,  17,  27,  40,  83,  84, 

107,  287,  310,  547,  567 

iDOL-WORSHir,    163 

Imad-ud-din,  415 
India,  North,  134 

—  South,  132 

—  Christians  in,  139,  423 

—  evangelisation,  225 
Inquisition,  The,  323 
Iran  plateau,  353 
Ireland  and  invasion,  loi 
Isaiah,  24,  95 

Islam,  133,  174,  202,  326,  536 
Ispahan,  465 

Jaffir  Ali  Khan,  355 

Jaganath-worship,  142,  168 

Jami,  371  ^ 

Janssens,  Governor,  120 

Java,  120,  334 

Jefferies,  Chaplain,  151 

Jeffery,  H.  M.,  6,  47,  56 

Jerome,  418 

[erusha  Edwards,  91 

Jews,  363,  377,  387,  459 

Joasmi  pirates,  333 

John,  St.,  44 

Jones,  Sir  Harford,  344 

—  Sir  W. ,  70 
Jowett,  Prof.,  441 

—  Rev.  W. ,  40 
Judson,  418 
Julfa,  464 

Kajar  Dynasty,  341 
Kalinjar,  277 
Kandahar,  564 
Karass,  488 


MAL 
Kars,  506 

Kaye,  Sir  John,  330 
Kaziroon,  353 

Keith-Falconer,  Ion,  22,  326,  564 
Kelland,  Prof.,  20 
Kempthorne,  10,  12,  17 
Kerr,  Dr.,  chaplain,  144,  226 
Kichener,  missionary,  125 
Kiernander,  48,  134 
King's  Chapel,  Cambritlge,  67 
Kingsley,  Charles,  44 
Kirke  White,  H.,  27,  40 
Kirkpatrick,  Capt.,  136 
Komana  Pontica,  533 
Koran,  324,  398,  407 
Kum,  466 

Land's  End,  2 
Lassen,  409 
Latin  Bible,  418 

—  Church  on  the  Bible,  491 
Law,  William,  30 
Lawrence,  Honoria,  260 

—  Lord,  140,  220 

—  Sir  Henry,  260 
Lee,  Prof.,  400,  404 
Leighton,  R.,  59,  102,  555 

Letters  to  Lydia  Grenfell,  82,  90,  175, 
181,  1S5,  246,  256,  292,  304,  318, 
334,  360,  473,  479 

Lewis,  G.,  133 

Leyden,  Dr.,  423 

Limerick,  Chaplain,  151 

Livingstone,  David,  121 

Lolworih,  35,  74 

Londf)n  Missionary  .Society,  28,  200 

Ludovicus  de  Dieu,  400 

Lull,  Raimund,  400 

Luther,  41S 

Lyte,  F.  T.,  547 

Macartney,  Earl  of,  119 

Macaulay,  Lord,  516 

Maclnnes,  Col.,  227 

Mackay  of  Uganda,  2QO 

Mackintosh,  Sir  J.,  318,  32S,  516 

Macrina,  534 

Madras,  130,  143 

Maiwand,  565 

Malayalim,  327 

Malcolm,  Sir  John,  143,  318,  32S,  344 

Maldah,  135,  200 

Malpas,  24 


INDEX 


577 


MAR 

Maracci,  324 
Marand,  496,  523 
Marazion,  43,  53,  82 
Marriage,  39,  49,  79,  86 

—  of  missionaries,  48 
Marrow  men,  132 

Marshman,  Dr.,  157,  197,  314,  418 

—  John  C,  161,  344 
Martin,  St.,  7 

—  Church,  447 

Martyn,  Henry,  birth,  2 ;  family, 
6 ;  parents,  9 ;  as  a  boy,  lO  ;  at 
Cambridge,  12  ;  father's  death,  17  ; 
conversion,  18  ;  Senior  Wrangler,  20; 
at  Woodbury,  24 ;  reading,  26 ; 
his  rooms,  33  ;  ordained  deacon, 
36  ;  loves  Lydia  Grenfell,  42  ;  con- 
siders himself  engaged  to  her,  51  ; 
discussions  on  marriage,  59  ;  love  of 
music,  65  ;  appointed  East  India 
Company's  chaplain,  73  ;  farewell  to 
England,  loi  ;  his  motto,  102  ;  at 
Bahia,  107  ;  opposition  to  his  preach- 
ing, 109;  at  the  Cape,  118;  describes 
the  Battle  of  Blaauwberg,  121  ;  with 
Vanderkenip,  125  ;  lands  at  Madras, 
130  ;  first  sermon  there,  144  ;  lands 
at  Calcutta,  147  ;  '  Let  me  burn  out 
for  God,'  150  ;  opposition  of  chap- 
lains to  his  preaching,  151  ;  at 
Serampore,  158  ;  Carey's  opinion  of 
Martyn,  161  ;  at  work  on  his  Hin- 
dustani Testament,  168  ;  a  mission- 
ary to  the  Mohammedans,  174  ; 
renews  his  suit  to  Lydia  Grenfell, 
175  ;  appointed  to  Dinapore,  183  ; 
a  Suttee,  184  ;  prayer  in  the  pagoda, 
196;  up  the  Ganges,  199;  hos- 
tility of  Europeans  at  first,  204  ;  in 
Patna,  205  ;  native  disaffection, 
206 ;  dreams  and  sickness,  208 ; 
first  letter  to  the  associated  clergy, 
212;  correspondence  with  Romanist 
missionaries,  218  ;  evangelisation  of 
India,  225  ;  life  with  Sabat,  226  ; 
controversy  with  moulvies,  234  ; 
refused  by  Lydia,  246  ;  ordered  to 
Cawnpore,  256  ;  described  by  Mrs. 
Sherwood,  258  ;  anecdotes  of  Mar- 
tyn, 264  ;  his  conversation,  274  ; 
preaching  Xo  fakcers,  281  ;  his  con- 
vert Abdool  Massee'h  and  others, 
285  ;    overwork,   289 ;    correspond - 


MIL 

ence  with  Lydia,  292  ;  in  the  new 
church,  Cawnpore,  309 ;  return  to 
Calcutta,  313;  voyage  to  Arabia 
and  Persia,  317  ;  in  Bombay,  325  ; 
in  the  Persian  GuK,  333  ;  lands  in 
Persia,  339  ;  in  Bushire,  346 ;  to 
Shiraz,  349  ;  in  Shiraz,  360  ;  con- 
troversies with  Shiahs,  Soofis,  and 
Jews,  375  ;  with  the  Moojtahid, 
394  ;  at  Persepolis,  410  ;  the  Rama- 
zan,  411  ;  his  place  as  a  Bible 
translator,  418  ;  as  a  philologist, 
425  ;  as  a  Hebraist,  426  ;  his  Hin- 
dustani Bible,  431  ;  Arabic  New 
Testament,  434  ;  Persian  studies, 
445  ;  Alford  on  Martyn,  447  ;  Per- 
sian New  Testament,  450 ;  Persian 
New  Testament  completed,  460  ;  to 
Ispahan,  Teheran,  and  Tabreez,  463  ; 
illness  at  Tabreez,  474  ;  last  words 
to  Lydia  Grenfell,  481  ;  New  Tes- 
tament presented  to  the  Shah,  484  ; 
as  a  translator,  490  ;  the  Pope's  con- 
demnation, 491  ;  towards  Constan- 
tinople, 494  ;  with  the  Armenians 
at  Etchmiatzin,  499  ;  at  Erzroom, 
508 ;  furiously  hurried  towards  Tokat, 
571  ;  last  words  in  "Wx?,  Journal,  573  ; 
burial,  515;  Remembrances  of  Mar- 
tyn, 520  ;  the  first  grave,  529  ;  the 
second  grave,  530 ;  effect  of  the 
news  of  his  death,  543  ;  first  memoir 
by  Sargent,  547  ;  last  words  of 
Lydia  Grenfell's  Z>/ary,  551  ;  Henry 
Martyn's  followers,  553 ;  memorials 
of  Henry  Martyn,  570 ;  the  lessons 
of  his  life,  571 

Massacre  Well,  267 

Mathematics  in  Cambridge,  20 

Mather,  Dr.  R.  C,  433 

Mawby,  Col.,  266 

McNeill,  Sir  John,  520 

Meer  Kasim,  202 

Megasthenes,  202 

Mekran,  334 

Mesnevi,  The,  526 

Metcalfe,  Lord,  143 

Methodism,  26 

Methodius,  418 

Miesrob,  418 

Military  Asylums,  260 

—  Orphan  School,  Calcutta,  136 

Milner,  Dean,  235 


P  P 


578 


HENRY  MARTYN 


MIL 

Milner,  Isaac,  l6,  74,  441 

Minto,  Lord,  120,  142,  231,  313,  316, 

334,  344 
Miracle   Play  of  Hasan  and   Husain, 

411 
Mirza  Fitrut,  230 

—  Ibrahim,  399,  403 

—  M.  Ruza,  403 

—  Sayyid  Ali  Khan,  360,  488 
Missionary  call,  26,  572 

—  societies,  28,  43,  136,  141 

—  council  at  the  Cape  proposed,  170 

—  preaching,  173,  213 

—  and  the  East  India  Company,  241 

—  life,  279 

—  martyrdom,  290,  513 
Mohammedan  controversy  {see  '  Islam '), 

214,  233,  363,  375,  475 
Mohammedans,  missions  to,  225,  524, 

572 
Moheecan  Bible,  418 
Monghyr,  20I 
Montgomery,  Sir  R.,  140 
Mooj tabids,  395 
Moor,  Canon,  438 
Moorshidabad,  200 
Moravian  mission,  1 19 
Morier,  James,  356,  391,  4S2 
Moule,  Archdeacon,  567 

—  Rev.  H.  C.  G.,  22,  42 
Muir,  Sir  W.,  400 
Muscat,  337,  567 

Music,  Martyn's  love  of,  65,  207,  265, 

296 
Mutiny,  Indian,  202 

—  the  White,  202 
Mysticism,  literature  of,  554 

Nadir  Shah,  341 

Nana  Dhoondoo  Panth,  267 

Naoroji,  D.,  330 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  120,  143,  343 

Nelson,  Lord,  81 

Ne^itorians,  569 

Netherlands  East  India  Company,  119 

Newton,  John,  66,  75,  137 

Norman,  Sir  H.,  220 

Obeck,  135 
Oman,  333 
Omar  Khayyam,  371 
Ooroomia,  483 
Orme's  In  Upstart,  108 


REG 
Ormuz  Island,  341 
Osborne,  Lord  S.  G. ,  44 
Oudh,  Nawab  of,  289 
Ouseley,  Sir  Gore,  143,  344,  484 
Oxford,  II 

Pagoda,  Henry  Martyn's,  158,  313 

Paley,  Dr.,  30 

l';.pendorp  Articles,  121 

Parasang,  493 

1  arsees,  330,   340,  371 

Parson,  Chaplain,  183    200,  258 

Patna,  201 

Paul,  the  Apostle,  60,  381 

Peacock,  Dean,  20 

Pearce,  S. ,  26,  34 

Pellew,  Sir  E.,  131,  145 

Pelly,  Sir  Lewis,  411,  455 

Penang,  228 

Pendennis,  88 

Persepolis,  356,  409 

Persia,  234,  237,  328,  340,  348,  370,  446 

Persian  Bible,  418,  445,  462,  484,  489 

—  Gulf,  333 

—  travelling,  493 
Pfander,  Dr.,  399,  415 
Philology,  425 
Pietists,  132 

Pilgrim's  Progress,  63,  80,  214 

Pinkerton,  Rev.  R.,  488 

Pitt,  W.,  69,  120 

Plassey,  134 

Poona,  326 

Pope  Pius  VIII. ,  491 

Popham,  Sir  H.,  120 

Porter,  Sir  R.  K.,  342,  519 

Portraits  of  Henry  Martyn,  So,  307 

—  of  Lydia  Grenfell,  244 
Portugal  in  the  E.-ist,  322,  341 
Preaching  and  missions,  243,  281 

Queen-Empress  Victoria,  333,  342 
Quishlang,  468 

Raffles,  Sir  S.,  121 
Rajmahal,  200 
Ramazan  Fast,  411 
Ranjeet  Singh,  143,  277 
Rawlinson,  Sir  H.,  409 
Rayner,  M.,  66 
Redruth,  51 
Regiment,  the  59th,  loi 

—  the  67th,  220,  312 


INDEX 


579 


REG 

R»;giment,  the  53rd,  257 

—  the  8th  Light  Dragoons,  276 
Keid,  missionary,  125 
Rcshire,  346 

Rich,  C.  J.,  517,  563 

Riebeck,  Clovernor,  119 

Robber  Island,  1 18 

Roberts,  Lord,  565 

Robinson,  Archdeacon,  489 

Rodney,  Capt.,  320 

Romanist  Christians,  217,  318,  569 

Rumsden,  Prof.,  441 

Ruskin,  33 

Russia,  415,  345,  482 

Rutherford,  Samuel,  2 

Ryland,  Dr.,  516 

Sabat,  225,  269,  422 

Sadi,  371 

St.  Andrews,  24 

St.  Hilary  church,  55 

St.  John's  College,  Cambridge,  13,  33, 

570 
St.  Michael's  Mount,  43,  90,  96 
Sandys,  Major,  54 
San  Salvador,  106 
Sanskrit,  199 
Sardhana,  286 

Sargent,  John,  22,  50j  227,  544 
Sati,  184 

Schiirmann,  missionary,  432 
Schwartz,  60,  65,  139,  144,  317 
Scott,  Sir  Walter,  423 
Scott's  Dekkan,  108 
Scottish  Missions,  488,  564 
Seatonian  Prize,  67 
Seleukos  Nikator,  202 
Serampore,  34,  158,  162,  422 
Sermons  by  Martyn,  55,  67,  78,  109, 

151.  549 
Serope  or  Serafino,  500,  521 
Shah  Abbas,  340 

—  Futteh  Ali,  341,  484 

—  Nasr-ed-Deen,  489 

—  Zeman,  325 
Sheheran,  51 1 
Sheikh  Othman,  326 

—  Saleh,  see  Abdool  Massee'h 
Sherley  Brothers,  340 
Sherwood,  Mrs.,  257,  283 
Shiahs,  373 

Shiraz,  355,  448,  565 
Shore,  see  Teignmoutb 


UNW 

Simeon,  Charles,  13,  27,  34,  42,  109, 

.  190,  544,  553 
Sin,  Pauline  doctrine  of,  109 
Smith,  Dr.  Eli,  435,  519 
Societies,  Missionary,  28,  43,  136,  141 
Soldiers  in  India,  200,  203, 219,  256, 265 
Solitude,  462 
Soofis,  371,  413,  443,  570 
Soonnis,  373 
Soudan,  120 
Southey,  40 
Spiritual  Exercises,  51,  92,  117,  126, 

209,  557 
Stanley,  Dean,  411 
Stannaries,  3 
Staunton,  Sir  G.,  27 
Stephen,  Sir  James,  I,  65 
Stevenson,  W.,    132 
Stuart,  Bishop  E.,  566 
Suffavian  dynasty,  341 
Sultania,  468 
Sunstroke,  347 

Tabreez,  472,  482 

Taleb  Massee'h,  286 

Tauris,  482 

Taylor,  Dr.,  169,  326 

Teheran,  356,  466 

Teignmouth,  Lord,  135,  138,  421 

Teutonic  Bible,  418 

Theologia  Germanica,  555 

Thomas  a  Kempis,  53,  420,  555 

Thomas,  Dr.,  [35 

Thomason,  434,  543 

Thompson,  M.,  Chaplain,  144 

Thornton,  H.,  16,  41,  476 

Tilsit,  Treaty  of,  143,  344 

Timour,  356 

Tin  of  Cornwall,  2 

Tipoo's  Library,  15 J 

Tokat,  518 

Tranquebar,  130 

Translation  of  Bible,  72,  280,  382,  417 

Tregothnan,  24 

Trinity  Church,  Cambridge,  36,  571 

T-  College,  Cambridge,  34,  571 

Truro,  3,  5,  24,  41 

Tsar  Alexander,  343 

Turks,  512 

Udny,  George,  15,  135 
Ulfilas,  418 
Unwin,  Mrs.,  66 


S8o 


HENRY  MARTYN 


Vanderkemp,  Dr.,  29,  123 
\'an  Dyck,  Dr.,  418,  435 
\^an  Lennep,  Dr.,  527 
Vaughan,  Dean,  571 
Vellore  Mutiny,  422 
V'enables,  Canon,  535 
Venn,  Heniy,  569 
Vienna  Congress,  121 


Wahabees,  202,  333 
Wainwright,  Commodore,  334 
Wall's  Lane,  Cambridge,  70 
\\'ard,  Chaplain,  155 

—  missionary,  157,  429 
Waring,  Scott,  237,  357 
Watson,  Bishop,  137 
W^ellesley,  Marquess,  135,  343 
Wesley,  Charles,  4 

—  John,  3,  132 
Westcott,  Bishop,  571 
Westergaard,  409 
Wilkins,  Sir  C,  516 
White,  Kirke,  27,  40,  68 

—  Lieut.,  138 
Whit^eld,  George,  3,  132 


ZOR 

Whytehead,  missionary,  570 
Wickes,  Capt.,  186 
Wiclif,  418 
Wilberforce,  Bishop  S.,  22 

—  W.,  40,  65,  69,  570 
Wilkinson,  missionary,  433 
Wilson,  Bishop  D.,  201,  553 

—  Dr.  John,  290,  327,  399,  563 
Wolverton,  Lord,  46 

Wood,  Col.,  307 
Woodbury,  24 
Wordsworth    570 
Wrangler,  Senior,  19    71,  264 

Xavier,  Francis,  174,  21S,  31S 

—  P.  H.,  399,  416 

Xenophon  and  the  Ten  Thousand,  502 
Xerxes,  409 

Young,  Col.  and  Mrs.,  241,  313 

—  Governor,  119 
Yule,  Sir  Henry,  332 

Zambesi,  120 
Ziegenbalg,  132 
Zoroaster,  371 


